Center for
Domestic Preparedness

Emergency Medical Operations for CBRNE Incidents

Target Audience/Disciplines

Emergency Medical Services, Healthcare, Public Health, Emergency Medical Technicians, Paramedics, and Hospital Staff, including Physicians and Nurses. Responders must be state-licensed Paramedics, EMTs, or Emergency Care Providers.

Overview

The Emergency Medical Operations for CBRNE Incidents (EMO) is a four-day course that prepares responders to effectively respond to a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosive (CBRNE) or mass casualty incident. The four-day EMO course provides classroom lectures, extensive hands-on training, and culminates with a hands-on practical exercise that allows responders to implement the emergency-response knowledge and skills learned during the course.

Below are some, but not all, of the critical skill sets learned during this training program:

• Apply Incident Command System principles focusing on medical operations.
• Identify the appropriate personal protection equipment levels when responding to a CBRNE incident or mass casualty incident.
• Evaluate casualties using techniques such as Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment (START) and JumpSTART.
• Provide casualty assistance and perform emergency medical operations while wearing personal protective equipment.
• Process non-ambulatory, ambulatory, and special needs casualties through a decontamination corridor.
• Conduct tracking and transport operations in support of casualty evacuation during a mass casualty incident.