PREPARING — Chemical or Biological Attack

Assemble a disaster supply kit [see: Emergency Checklists] and be sure to include:

• Battery-powered commercial radio with extra batteries.
• Non-perishable food and drinking water.
• Roll of duct tape and scissors.
• Plastic for doors, windows and vents for the room in which you will take shelter -- if at all possible, this should be an internal room where you can block out air that may contain hazardous chemical or biological agents. To save critical time during an emergency, sheeting should be pre-measured and cut for each opening.
• First aid kit.
• Sanitation supplies, including soap, water and bleach.

DURING — Chemical or Biological Attack

Listen to your radio for instructions from authorities such as whether to remain inside or to evacuate.

If you are instructed to remain in your home, the building where you are, or other shelter during a chemical or biological attack:

• Turn off all ventilation, including furnaces, air conditioners, vents and fans.
• Seek shelter if possible in an internal room, preferably one without windows — avoid basements or other below ground places such as parking garages.
• Seal the room with duct tape and plastic sheeting. Ten square feet of floor space per person will provide sufficient air for up to five hours to offset carbon dioxide build-up.
• Remain in protected areas where toxic vapors are reduced or eliminated, and be sure to take your battery-operated radio with you.

If you are caught in an unprotected area

• Attempt to get up-wind of the contaminated area.
• Attempt to find shelter as quickly as possible.
• Listen to your radio for official instructions.
• Avoid below-ground structures.

AFTER — Chemical Attack

Immediate symptoms of exposure to chemical agents may include blurred vision, eye irritation, difficulty breathing and nausea.

A person affected by a chemical or biological agent requires immediate attention by professional medical personnel.

If medical help is not immediately available, decontaminate yourself and assist in decontaminating others. Decontamination is needed within minutes of exposure to minimize health consequences.

You should not leave the safety of a shelter to go outdoors to help others until authorities announce it is safe to do so.

Use extreme caution when helping others who have been exposed to chemical agents:

• Remove all clothing and other items in contact with the body.
• Contaminated clothing normally removed over the head should be cut off to avoid contact with the eyes, nose, and mouth. Place clothing in a plastic bag, if available. Decontaminate hands using soap and water.
• Remove eyeglasses or contact lenses. Put glasses in a pan of household bleach to decontaminate.
• Remove all items in contact with the body.
• Flush eyes with lots of water.
• Gently wash face and hair with soap and water, and thoroughly rinse with water.
• Decontaminate other body areas likely to have been contaminated. Blot (do not swab or scrape) with a cloth soaked in soapy water and rinse with clear water.
• Change into uncontaminated clothes. Clothing stored in drawers or closets is likely to be uncontaminated.
• If possible, proceed to a medical facility for screening.

AFTER — Biological Attack

In many biological attacks people will not know that they have been exposed to an agent. In such situations, the first evidence of an attack may be when you notice symptoms of the disease caused by exposure to the agent, and you should seek immediate medical attention for treatment.

Pay close attention to all official warnings and instructions on how to proceed. Medical services delivery in response to a biological event may be handled differently due to increased demand. Pay attention to official instructions via radio, television, and emergency alert systems.

If your skin or clothing comes in contact with a visible, potentially infectious substance, you should remove and bag your clothes and personal items. Immediately wash yourself with warm, soapy water. Put on clean clothes and seek medical assistance.

Soap, water and household bleach provide good protection against both biological and chemical skin contaminants. Wash your hands frequently.

For more information, visit the web site for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - www.bt.cdc.gov.