Incirlik medics train with new decon field equipment

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Michael Jackson
  • Det 7, Air Force News Agency
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  Air Force medics have a vital mission in the event of a chemical or biological event: they must be able to decontaminate large groups of people quickly and effectively.

Incirlik is uniquely prepared for such an event; the base is one of only two Air Force locations in the world that has a hardened underground decontamination chamber which would serve as the primary location of the decon mission. However, if that facility was damaged or destroyed, decon operations would be carried out in the field using the In-Place Patient Decontamination Capability, or IPPDC.

The newest version of the IPPDC requires training, and the Air Force has contracted the TVI Corporation to show Airmen how to set it up, use it, and take it down. Tom Bocek, a TVI consultant, is traveling to every Air Force base in the world to accomplish this training. He came to Incirlik last week to train and drill the men and women of the 39th Medical Group's decon team on this new equipment.

"The IPPDC is very light, very portable, and takes about 12 people to operate," said Mr. Bocek. "On the average, it takes 6-8 minutes to set up. The Air Force standard is 20 minutes. Today, on their first day of training, Incirlik Airmen had it set up and operational in five minutes and 37 seconds, which is very good."

The IPPDC has shower facilities and three separate lines: one for walk-in male patients, one for walk-in female patients, and one for patients carried in on a litter. During the exercise, Incirlik Airmen donned their suits and simulated decontamination of one litter-patient and one female walk-in patient. In addition to the time constraint, Airmen had to remove every trace of chemical compound from both patients, which they did on the first run. Master Sgt. Tim Allen, the 39th Medical Group decon team chief, says there is no substitute for hands-on experience.

"No matter how much classroom preparation we have, the ability to come out and set the equipment up under a time constraint, especially if we have contaminated patients whose lives are in jeapordy, is very important," he said. "The faster we can get this equipment up and process our patients through, the faster we can decon the patients and save lives."

"We practice decon procedures in the hardened facility every month, and with the field equipment every 90 days," added Master Sergeant Allen.

Hopefully these airmen will never have to decon patients infected by chemical or biological agents. But if that day does come, all this hard work and preparation will pay off.