Pictured with the equipment trailer sponsored by the United Hospital System for the Kenosha County Specialized Response Team Hazardous Materials Team are (from left) Peter Molter, vice president United Hospital System; Katherine Borst, RN director of Department of Emergency Medicine at the Kenosha Medical Center Campus, and Mark Niederer, Kenosha County Hazardous Materials Team coordinator and battalion chief Bristol Fire Department. /Submitted photo
The Kenosha County Chief’s and Captain’s Association recently signed an agreement with United Hospital System of Kenosha, Wisconsin. The agreement, between the two entities, paved the way for the Hazardous Materials Team to take possession of both the St. Catherine’s Medical Center Campus and the Kenosha Medical Center campus decontamination equipment. In return the Hazardous Materials Team is obligated to serve as the decontamination team for both hospital campuses if such an event were to occur where patients coming to the hospital need to be decontaminated from a hazardous substance before entering the emergency department for treatment.
As compensation for those services the Hazardous Materials Team accepted a monetary sponsorship from United Hospital System to purchase a cargo trailer to store and transport the decontamination equipment. The equipment is stored at a site in Bristol and will be used to respond to any location should an incident occur. The decontamination equipment includes but is not limited to 2 collapsible walk-through decontamination tents, conveyor systems for patients requiring to be in full cervical stabilization, and two water heater units for use when warm water from decontamination is required.
As of 2009 Kenosha County has been served by a new County Hazardous Materials Team administered by the Kenosha County Chief’s and Captains Association. The team consists of members who have volunteered to be on the team.
Participating departments are:
- Bristol.
- Paris.
- Pleasant Prairie.
- Salem.
- Somers.
- Wheatland.
Members are trained to the Hazardous Materials Level B Technician and Hazardous Materials Operations level. Any hazardous materials incident in Kenosha County is handled by the team as long as the jurisdiction having authority requests the team to the incident.
