Mark I NAAK Kits?

[Guest]

Does the Westchester County have Mark 1 NAAK kits? How many kits do we have and where are they located? How would they be distributed in the case of a chemical weapon incident? I would assume that the county hazmat team carries some kits on the hazmat 1 rig? Is this assumption correct?

Thank you.

[helicopper 1,050]

Does the Westchester County have Mark 1 NAAK kits? How many kits do we have and where are they located? How would they be distributed in the case of a chemical weapon incident? I would assume that the county hazmat team carries some kits on the hazmat 1 rig? Is this assumption correct?

Thank you.

Yes the County does as do agencies within the County.

We have <classified> and they are located at <classified>.

They would be distributed pursuant to regional and local plans and in accordance with medical control or standing orders.

<classified> has them too.

[ny10570 745]

Smiley, luckily its a very simple issue. Either you'll have time to find out where they are and where to go pick 'em up or by the time you realize you need 'em its too late and you're S.O.L.

[Guest alsfirefighter]

Good answer Chris. Let's all remember that the discussion of certain types of response capabilities and tactics shouldn't be discussed on an open forum.

[SageVigiles 1,194]

Connecticut also has a plan for the Mk1 kits, but its so secret even WE don't know when/where they will arrive!

[ny10570 745]

Is anyone still making the Mark 1 kits? I know FDNY switched to a different kit after their stock expired. Its changed out protocols a bit as we have less control now what we administer.

[Bnechis 3,961]

Does the Westchester County have Mark 1 NAAK kits? How many kits do we have and where are they located? How would they be distributed in the case of a chemical weapon incident? I would assume that the county hazmat team carries some kits on the hazmat 1 rig? Is this assumption correct?Thank you.

And Chris:

"Yes the County does as do agencies within the County. We have <classified> and they are located at <classified>....They would be distributed pursuant to regional and local plans and in accordance with medical control or standing orders. <classified> has them too."

Interesting way to put it.

I don't know how many (if any) that the county has, but they were not an authorized agency to administer them. There is a stockpile under CDC's Chempac program at 6 or 7 hospitals. As of last year the only non ALS agencies were Yonkers FD (as an MMRS unit) and NRFD under MAC. The hazmat team was not authorized under MAC since they are not an "EMS" agency" they may have them for themselves.

[RWC130 594]

I know of some Ambulances in the area that do carry the Mark I Kits,

who has them and how many I am sure is a "Homeland Security" issue so I

won't comment.

If you want them for your VAC I would assume you can

call the DOH and speak to them directly.

NOTE: Smiley, I will leave my Mark I Kit for you as I will be

RUNNING the other way! lol

[Bnechis 3,961]

I know of some Ambulances in the area that do carry the Mark I Kits,

who has them and how many I am sure is a "Homeland Security" issue so I

won't comment.

If you want them for your VAC I would assume you can

call the DOH and speak to them directly.

Two issues:

Are they carrying them for themselves or for patients? A number of years ago NYS gave each ALS unit about a 1/2 dozen kits. That ment each unit could treat 2-3 people. Not very useful at a WMD event (unless you are the oe to get it).

Second, If the kits are for the EMS crew there is no system issue (except DOH says they cant be used that way), but if Agencies are carrying them to give to patients, they need to consider how they are going to do it. To approach a patient you need Level A (if they have not been Deconned), or Level B/C if they have only had gross decon. Since it may take 20 minutes or more to respond and set up full decon by the time you can administer the drug it may be to late. How many agencies are able to don CPC and perform decon in a time frame to administer drugs that will be of use? You need to be able to admin prior to decon by members in level A.

If you want them for your ALS agency all you need to is pay for them. For your BLS agency you must apply to MAC before you can purchase them. DOH requires MAC to approve your agency.

[jcoppola 52]

Connecticut also has a plan for the Mk1 kits, but its so secret even WE don't know when/where they will arrive!

I requested to go to the training for the Mark I kits but the powers that be told me to forget about it. I think it comes down to a stocking issue with the hospitals.

JVC

[SageVigiles 1,194]

I've taken the class, CSP runs it through State OEM/DHS, I just haven't seen the kit since the class.

[Guest alsfirefighter]

I don't see how stocking with the hospitals is or should be an issue. They order them you pay for them if you want them or through grants/allotments etc.

On a side note I really don't see what the big deal is about the kits and the procedure for use on whom and when from what I was told when we were first issued them. The U.S. military issues the kits to each individual to carry on their persons. We were all trained on when to use them and how...this included a Mark I kit and a Valium auto injector to be admin'd to you by another team member if you were actively convulsing. This isn't rocket science.

The flip side is I'd rather see more of us out there getting training on explosives and blast injuries which is a higher percentage of threat then nerve agents.

[NJMedic 96]

My agency has three person person per vehicle with a second set for a student/observer. They are only for the staff. I do know of some fire departments that have them but they are few and far between but I can't think of any law enforcement agencies that have them, save for one that I am involved with. The State of New Jersey has a policy that is on their web site at http://www.state.nj.us/health/ems/emer_preparedness.shtml

Meridian Medical (www.meridianmeds.com) are the makers of the Mark 1 kit. They have stopped making the two syringe kit and know have combined the Atropine and 2-pan Chloride into one syringe and market it as a product called "Duodote". No operational difference, you just have to inject 1 syringe instead of 2.

A minimum order is one box which contains 30 auto-injectors and the total price is $1159.20.

Now that might be alot of money but I have seen some well funded agencies that have all the bells and whistles that complain the price is too high. Oh well......good luck if you need them.

[Engfire 0]

Everyone around here pays a fee to the local EMS council and together with the hospitals we have drug bags that we exchange out at the hospital when we use something. In those bags we have Mark 1 kits that are thier just for are use if their was a WMD attack, anything else you would have to get a chempack released from a stockpile and that involves alot of redtape due to the cost of the chempacks.