Emergency Department staff at Lions Gate Hospital participated in Decontamination training on March 13th, 2013. The goal of decontamination training is to ensure that the hospital is prepared to receive, decontaminate and treat patients who have been exposed to chemical contamination. This was a joint exercise, with the North Shore Emergency Management Office, North Vancouver Fire Department, RCMP and BCAS.
The training exercise required decontaminating 1 child, 1 teenager, and two adults who had been exposed to chlorine and pepper spray. It was also an opportunity to test new equipment that allowed patients to start the decontaminating themselves while nurses donned protective equipment.