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Responder Safety: Chemical Suicides
 The
Colorado State Fire Chiefs’ Association (CSFCA)
values the health and safety of firefighters
and strives to reduce the number of
firefighter deaths and injuries. The
CSFCA has identified that suicides involving
chemicals, such as hydrogen sulfide gas, are
increasing and firefighters who fail to take
proper precautions can quickly become
victims themselves. The following
information and resources are provided to
assist our members in understanding the risk
to firefighters responding to these
incidents and the measures that can be taken
to reduce this risk. |
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Chemical Suicides in the News, go
here |
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Bulletins and Advisories |
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Special Research
Report - Hydrogen Sulfide Suicide,
Atlanta Regional Organized Crime Information
Center (Undated) |
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Fire Service Safety
Alert - Chemical Suicide on Campus,
New York State Office of Fire Prevention &
Control, Hazardous Materials & Homeland
Security Bureau (April 14, 2010) |
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Special Bulletin:
Hydrogen Sulfide Suicide Deaths, Kansas City
Regional TEW, Inter-Agency Analysis Center
(March 17,
2010) |
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Firefighter Safety &
Survival Message: Chemical Suicides,
Colorado State Fire Chiefs Association
(March 9, 2010) |
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(FOUO) Hazards Posed
to First Responders by Hydrogen Sulfide
Suicides, Joint Regional Intelligence
Center/LA-RTTAC (March 3, 2010) |
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Responder
Safety Information -
Hydrogen Sulfide Suicide,
Wake County, NC EMS Division
(February 22, 2010) |
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Chemical Suicide Memo,
New York State Office of Fire Prevention &
Control Hazardous Materials/Homeland
Security Bureau (November 6,
2009) |
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Ada County Sheriff’s
Office (Idaho) Officer/Emergency Responder
Safety Bulletin
(May 14,
2009) |
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Note: To
obtain a copy of this bulletin, contact:
Patrick L. Schneider, Detective
Sergeant, Ada County Sheriff’s Office, 7200
Barrister Drive, Boise, Idaho 83704, Phone:
(208) 577-3403 E-mail:
pschneider@adaweb.net.
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(FOUO) Advisory - New
York State Office of Homeland Security,
Emergency Managers Advisory, Subject:
Hydrogen Sulfide: A Potential First
Responder Hazard (September 26, 2008)
http://cryptome.org/dhs-hyd-sul.pdf
[pdf] |
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Resources |
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Medical Management Guidelines
for Hydrogen Sulfide
(H2S
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/Mhmi/mmg114.html |
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NIOSH Pocket
Guide to Chemical Hazards - Hydrogen Sulfide
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/npgd0337.html
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Sarasota County
(Florida) Fire Department Training Session
for Responders to Hydrogen Sulfide Suicide
Incidents |
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Chemical Suicides -
First Responder Safety (PPT), Saline County
Sheriff’s Department, Missouri |
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Hydrogen Sulfide (PPT)
Shelby County EMS Training Division |
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Chemical & Detergent
Suicides (PPT), Hampden County Sheriff’s
Department (MA) |
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Chemical Terrorism
Fact Sheet: Blood Gas Agents - Hydrogen
Sulfide, Saint Louis University School of
Public Health (September 2002) |
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Internet Suicide in
Japan: Implications for Child and Adolescent
Mental Health, Clinical Child Psychology and
Psychiatry (2007; 12; 583) |
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Hydrogen Sulfide
Attempted Suicide, El Paso County, CO (11/17/09) |
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The following
information was provided by Bill Mayfield,
RN, FI1, HMS, Emergency Response
Coordinator, Memorial Health System. |
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Incident Summary
[See Note] |
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Case Review [See Note] |
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Note:
The Incident Summary and Case Review contain
specific chemicals and their mixture ratios.
They are available FOUO by sending an email
to
Doug McBee. |
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Detergent Suicide
Clean Up Technique |
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Bill Mayfield has developed a
1-1/2 hour class that goes through the
epidemiology, case review, basic toxicology,
safety, and hazmat mitigation related to
these “chemical suicides”. He can also teach
FDs the neutralization technique and how to
build up a simple kit that would be needed.
He can be contacted at:
(719) 365-2005
or
bill.mayfield@memorialhealthsystem.com
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Articles of Interest |
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Suicide Epidemic Grips Japan
(USA
TODAY 07/20/08) |
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Japanese Detergent
Suicide, A Suicide Wave on Japan? |
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Dangerous Japanese
‘Detergent Suicide’ Technique Creeps Into
U.S. |
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Hydrogen Sulfide Gas
Suicides Raise Specter of Terrorist Attacks
(Japan Today, 05/19/09) |
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Chemical Alert after
Two Women Commit Suicide at London Hotel
(05/03/09) |
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Trics of the Trade: New Hazmat Threat Comes
to the US |
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Person Down in
Auto/New Way to Commit Suicide
(FirefighterCloseCalls.com) |
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First Responders to
Suicide Attempts Face New Dangers |
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Hydrogen Sulfide
Suicide Close Call (FirefighterCloseCalls.com) |
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"Detergent Suicides"
Growing Trend - Deadly to Rescuers
(02/22/10) |
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Body Found In Car;
Hazmat Responds (Salt Lake
City, February 22, 2010) –
Interesting twist . . . Emergency crews were
dispatched to an apparent suicide in a
vehicle. The victim died of a gunshot
wound, but instructions for making hydrogen
sulfide were found in the car.
[pdf] |
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This page was last
updated on
August 18, 2010 |
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