The very latest in decontamination training technology was on display for cadets, officials, and invited guests of the Albuquerque Fire Academy on Thursday, December 21, 2006. Hazmat Science Applications, which is a division of Technology Management Company, Inc., will demonstrate how the Contaminated-Doffing Principles (CDP) developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory can be used to maximize the effectiveness and safety of the decontamination process. Increasingly, response professionals and other public safety personnel face an "all-hazards" threat from the combination and interaction of pollutants, toxins, industrial byproducts, toxic spills, biohazards, or terrorism. A key success factor for these men and women is their confidence that, after performing their duties, they can remove their protective gear and safely go home to their families. Thorough decontamination of responders, medical personnel, and victims is a key factor for a successful response to a hazardous material event or terrorist attack. Decontamination, like any complex procedure, requires regular training, and the best training couples realistic scenarios with immediate feedback so that people can learn by doing. Hazmat Science Applications provides this training, based on years of research at LANL and years of response experience. The result is increased decontamination effectiveness and greater confidence by response professionals in their equipment and procedures. CDP utilizes safe, non-toxic, fluorescing materials as simulated hazardous agents to create a rigorous, decontamination challenge. Trainees are exposed to the simulants and then they decontaminate themselves using their normal procedures. The entire exercise is filmed for later analysis. At the conclusion of the exercise, the trainees are examined using material-tracking techniques and ultraviolet light for any traces of simulated material. If any simulant is detected, indicating inadequate decontamination, the film record is studied to determine what mistakes the trainees made and how to correct them. The process is repeated until the decontamination process has been optimized. The first responders, medical receivers, victims, and others involved directly or indirectly in a hazardous materials event or terrorist attack deserve the best-possible decontamination procedures and training. HSA’s goal is to make this available to all those on whom we depend for the health and safety of the New Mexico public. Hazmat Science Applications operates from its Decontamination Research Facility located on State Highway 14 near Santa Fe. The employees of HSA include former employees of Los Alamos National Laboratory who were instrumental in the development of CDP. HSA Background Hazmat Science Applications is a new commercial business, native to New Mexico, based on technology developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Known as Contaminated-Doffing Principles, this technology offers dramatic improvements in the chances that first responders, medical receivers and victims will survive their exposure to hazardous materials or weapons of mass destruction should such an event occur in our State. Successful decontamination is a key element of consequence management efforts. There is evidence that a gap exists between the perceived and the actual effectiveness of decontamination practices in use today. HSA aims to correct this gap by providing the best-possible decontamination procedures and training, short of training with live agents. The key is in what has not been possible before: a safe method to validate the effectiveness of decontamination practices. It is now available from HSA. The demonstration on Thursday at the Albuquerque Fire Academy is the first formal display of HSA technology in New Mexico, although the contaminated-doffing principles have been used by HSA and by LANL for several years serving military and civilian customers. A premier customer of HSA is New Mexico’s WMD 64th Civil Support Team, which routinely uses the technology and the HSA research facility to hone its decontamination proficiency. The demonstration is certain to impress anyone aware of the real complexity and challenges of successful decontamination. HSA was started in March 2006 with the hiring of two individuals who were directly involved in the development of CDP while they were employees of LANL. There are now six full and part-time employees operating from the Decontamination Research Facility located at 4525 State Highway 14, just south of Santa Fe. HSA is a division of Technology Management Company, Inc. (TMC), which has its corporate office at 2500 Louisiana Blvd. NE, in Albuquerque. TMC has an additional three divisions, one each located in Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and Chantilly, Virginia. There are approximately 50 US employees. From its offices in six foreign countries, TMC has approximately 250 full-time employees who are native residents of those countries. TMC was established as an independent company in 1996. In 2005 the company was purchased by its employees. TMC has been a member of the Flying 40 for six consecutive years. For additional information contact: Douglas W. Wagoner HSA Division Manager Phone: (505) 872-3146 Ext. 112 Email:DWagoner@hazmatscience.comWebsite: www.hazmatscience.com
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