The DoD Domestic Preparedness Support Initiative, in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Americas’ Security Affairs, coordinates Department of Defense (DoD) efforts to identify, evaluate, deploy, and transfer technology, items, and equipment to Federal, State, and local first responders.

Through the DoD Domestic Preparedness Support Initiative, the DoD fulfills Congress’ intent to support public safety and homeland security by leveraging taxpayer investments in defense technology and equipment. Partnerships with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ), and communications with first responders, are critical for success in this important mission! Working closely with DHS and DOJ, we promote the advancement, commercialization, and transition of high priority DoD projects that can result in first responder capability improvements.

Safe, Fast-Acting, Battlefield-Deployed Decontaminant Now Available to State and Local First Receivers

EMS Magazine

As First Receivers across the nation train and prepare to respond to potential terrorist attacks, they can now add an effective decontamination tool against Chemical Warfare (CW) agents and T2 toxin to the protective equipment they wear and carry when responding to emergencies. RSDecon, a business of Bracco Diagnostics, Inc., offers a proven, safe, fast-acting and easy-to-use form of protection against all known CW agents with its RSDL product.

RSDL is a broad-spectrum liquid CW agent decontaminant that removes and neutralizes CW agents and T2 toxin from skin within two minutes. In the past, RSDL could only be purchased and deployed by military organizations, but it is now available to First Responders and First Receivers such as fire departments, law enforcement agencies, emergency medical services and healthcare facilities worldwide.

The lotion is standard equipment carried by head-of-state protection agencies in both the U. S. and abroad, as well as major U. S. police and fire departments, including the New York City Fire Department (FDNY). It has been formally tested and proven effective by both the Department of Defense (DoD) and multiple NATO military organizations, and is deployed by troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. It has been demonstrated to be safe and effective as a skin decontaminate and has been cleared by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

In addition to helping neutralize CW agents and T2 toxin on First Receivers’ gear and skin, it also helps ensure they can return to their duties quickly when they are needed most: in the first phase of an incident or attack. Unlike water or powder-based technologies, which can smear or spread the CW agent, RSDL decontaminates or removes the contaminant from the skin. In the case of large-scale contamination, RSDL can be applied, by first receivers to themselves and then victims while they are awaiting other procedures or transportation, reducing the danger to them and helping reduce the spread of contaminants from an incident.

RSDL’s single-step application provides the ease of use necessary when time is of the essence. Once the CW agent is decontaminated, RSDL leaves a non-toxic residue that can be easily rinsed off when operational conditions permit.

http://www.emsmagazine.com/online/article.jsp?siteSection=11&id=10700