The CDC has updated their recommendation for the wearing of N95 and other NIOSH-approved masks, citing that, “When worn consistently and properly, N95 respirators provide the highest level of protection from particles, including the virus that causes COVID-19.” To protect yourself and others from COVID-19, CDC continues to recommend that you wear the most protective mask you can that fits well and that you will wear consistently.

A full-scale mock disaster exercise was conducted by firefighters, police offices, and Emergency Operation Center officials on Friday, Oct. 1 in Jackson Center, OH. The Decon Zone included DQE’s decontamination pool and the Indestructo decontamination shower system for decontaminating a HazMat responder after stopping a leak in a tanker truck.

Micro-hospitals and freestanding emergency rooms are popping up all around the country. Just like traditional hospitals, these facilities must meet CMS guidelines and have an Emergency Operations Plan in place to address hazard vulnerabilities. Consider a scenario where a contaminated patient enters the building and needs decontamination, is there a plan to address this situation? DQE’s Micro-Hospital Patient Decontamination System provides a simple, professional, and affordable approach to patient decontamination.

Record heat is spreading across the United States. Explore the heatwave forecast for your county and track weekly cases of heat-related illness across the country with the CDC Heat & Health Tracker. Search for heat and health by county or zip code, create custom maps, view data snapshots, and access CDC guidance and resources. 

Hazardous Material Response Team participates in an exercise at an area near the DoD Fire Academy Training Pad. The team consists of members from the Fire Department, Emergency Management Flight, and Bio-Environmental Flight. It offers an excellent opportunity to maintain proficiency in dealing with hazardous materials.

Incirlik Air Base Fire Department and 39th Civil Engineer Squadron explosives ordnance disposal members perform decontamination procedures during a Major Accident Response Exercise.

Stacked disasters – like a winter storm that damages a water system during a pandemic – can provide lessons for the next time around. AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis By Tiffany A. Radcliff, Texas A&M University and Angela Clendenin, Texas A&M University While the world is still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic, public health and emergency… Read more »

A member of the Kosovo Security Force HAZMAT Company conducts decontamination procedures during a training scenario at the Joint Multinational Training Center in Hohenfels, Germany, on Nov. 2, 2020. The KSF is attending a JMRC rotation to build relationships and interoperability with the incoming international units deploying as part of Kosovo Force 28, a NATO organization dedicated to the safety and security of all people in Kosovo. The HAZMAT unit is trained to quickly set up remote decontamination and testing stations in response to reports of hazardous material.

During an interview with ABC News medical correspondent Jennifer Ashton, Fauci was asked whether the U.S. would one day recommend eye protection, such as face shields, due to the pandemic. Dr. Anthony Fauci responds, “If you have goggles or an eye shield, you should use it. It’s not universally recommended, but if you really want to be complete, you should probably use it if you can.”

This mapping tool by the Harvard Global Health Institute shows how severe the pandemic is where you live. The COVID Risk Level map shows the current risk level by county according to a seven day average of daily cases per 100k people.