Members of the Muscatine Fire Department began training on a new decontamination process.
According to a release, the new HAZMAT (Hazardous Material) decontamination kit was purchased through a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) and will be used on HAZMAT calls. The kit will be used to upgrade and improve the process during HAZMAT responses. The Muscatine Fire Department is designated to provide services to Muscatine, Louisa, Henry, Washington and Keokuk counties.
“These kits allow us to apply new best practices in decontamination procedures,” Lieutenant Joe Rymars said. “It updates a decontamination process that really hasn’t changed much in the last 100 years and takes a lot of inefficiencies out of the process, including the use of large amounts of water, which may cause more contamination issues with the water runoff.”