 "These mass decontamination vehicles are part of our ongoing effort
to make sure Illinois is well-prepared to respond quickly and
effectively to any disaster, anywhere in the state," said
Blagojevich. "Mutual aid between the fire services, law enforcement,
emergency management and public health is critical to responding to
disasters. These vehicles further strengthen our mutual aid plan,
which is already recognized as the best in the nation."The
Illinois Terrorism Task Force, which develops and implements the
state's homeland security strategy, worked with the Mutual Aid Box
Alarm System on the decontamination vehicle initiative. MABAS, the
fire services' mutual aid organization, facilitated the purchasing,
equipping and deployment of the 16 vehicles that have already been
received and will handle delivery of the remaining six vehicles this
year.
MABAS also determined the criteria for placement of the vehicles,
including a requirement that the recipient have an established
hazardous materials response team to manage the equipment and that
no decontamination already is located in the area. Proximity to
high-population centers and universities was also considered when
determining where to place the vehicles.
Each vehicle contains an incident coordination area and
decontamination capabilities both inside and outside the vehicle.
The inside decontamination area includes six showerheads, while
there are four shower stations in a semi-enclosed awning area
outside the vehicle. For non-ambulatory patients, decontamination
can be performed inside or outside the vehicle, with an automated
patient lift system and over-under roller systems for individuals on
stretchers.
The vehicles are equipped with automated water pressure controls,
electronically controlled water temperature, scene lighting,
exterior modesty barriers, an onboard generator, decontamination
solution dispensing system and a 100-gallon water storage tank.
Water for the decontamination is supplied by fire engines or
hydrants. Each vehicle is equipped with enough supplies to
decontaminate 200 individuals.
Each decontamination vehicle costs approximately $251,000,
including equipment and supplies. The state will spend more than
$5.5 million for the 22 vehicles it is purchasing. Funding for the
vehicles came from homeland security grants the state receives from
the federal government.
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In addition, Cook County is purchasing three decontamination
vehicles with funding they received through the federal Urban Areas
Security Initiative grant.
"As with other response assets we've positioned throughout the
state, such as mobile command vehicles and Illinois Transportable
Emergency Communications Systems, these mass decontamination
vehicles can be dispatched anywhere in the state to support response
efforts during a major disaster," said Andrew Velasquez III,
director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency.
"The decontamination vehicle is a resource our department and
MABAS Division would not have been able to afford to purchase on our
own," said Deputy Chief Bruce Harrison of the DeKalb Fire
Department, MABAS Division 9. "It's a resource that we've found has
many applications beyond mass decontamination. During the flooding
in DeKalb County in late August, MABAS Division 8 used the vehicle
as a shower facility for displaced flood victims for seven days."
To date, decontamination vehicles
have been delivered to the following fire departments:
Six additional decontamination vehicles are expected to be
delivered later this year to the following areas of the state:
Quincy, Macomb, Freeport, Southwestern Illinois/Edwardsville,
Naperville and Pekin.
[Text from file received from
the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information]
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