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Aug. 30, 2010 For more information, contact: Training Planned to Inform Emergency Responders About Chemical Suicide Hazards ROLLA—On Aug. 18, 2010, the Watertown, S.D., Fire Department responded to a car with a person inside, parked along the interstate. A sign posted in the car warned of hydrogen sulfide, a deadly chemical sometimes used in chemical suicides. That was South Dakota, but similar situations are occurring around the world, including Missouri. To better prepare emergency responders in the Meramec Region on safely responding to chemical suicide situations, the City of Rolla Fire Department - in conjunction with the Missouri Emergency Response Commission and the Meramec Regional Emergency Planning Committee - is hosting a three-hour training on Nov. 9 from 6-9 p.m. at the Eugene E. Northern Community Hall, 400 W. Fourth St. in Rolla. Pre-registration is requested and can be done online at http://training.dps.mo.gov/sematraining.nsf/TrainingSchedule?OpenForm or by calling Michael White, MERC training coordinator at 417-483-2069 or by emailing him at merctraining@mwhitefire.com. The course is offered free of charge. This course is POST approved with 3 hours of Technical Studies CEUs and provides three hours of BEMS elective CEUs . Dinner will be provided for participants. The course— Chemical Suicide: Information for the Emergency Responder —was developed by the Missouri Emergency Response Commission in cooperation with the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control. Chemical suicide it becoming more prevalent across the United States and has already happened in Missouri. This method of suicide has grown rapidly in Japan since 2007, and experts agree that it will continue to grow here in the U.S. over the next several years. This form of suicide creates some very dangerous hazards for unsuspecting emergency responders, due to concentration of chemicals used and the highly toxic gasses that are created. This three-hour, classroom-based course will provide background on the history of chemical suicide in Japan and the US. It will provide a detailed look at the chemicals most commonly used during chemical suicide, their affect on the victim and precautions the responder should take to protect themselves during the response. This course will also provide several case studies of chemical suicides within the United States. And finally, the class will discuss basic emergency response practices that responders should consideration when faced with a chemical suicide response. The Meramec Regional Emergency Planning Committee works with local governments as well as the private sector to maintain plans responsive to chemical hazards, which seriously threaten the area. The committee periodically coordinates and offers training opportunities for emergency responders in the region. Quarterly meetings are open to the public. Meramec Regional Planning Commission, a voluntary council of local governments serving the eight-county Meramec Region, provides staff support for the local emergency planning committee. |