Taking “10 seconds to slow down and do a good, thorough scene size-up could save a responder’s life,” Jacob Oreshan said concerning his Thursday afternoon FDIC 2014 presentation, “Chemical Suicide: Information for the Emergency Responder.” A deputy chief with the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control, Special Operations Branch, Oreshan is a national certified firefighter and hazardous materials technician. The topic is of great importance because of the great danger it poses to responders. Oreshan has attended and presented at FDIC for the two years.
The topic is of great importance because of the great danger a chemical suicide situation poses to the responders. “If I can save one responder, it makes teaching this all worthwhile.”
Chemical suicide, or detergent suicide, is becoming a large problem in the United States. This method involves mixing certain household chemicals to produce toxic hydrogen sulfide gas, which when inhaled causes death in 10 seconds. The process is carried out in a confined space, e.g., a car, a closet, or a bathroom. Often, the victim will post signs warning of the dangerous atmosphere before carrying out the act.
Case studies presented often involved cars, but one was carried out in a dorm room closet. The door to the room was sealed with tape, as was the closet. When the room was finally opened, signs warning of the presence of a toxic atmosphere were found on the closet and bathroom doors.
Oreshan said use caution in approaching any vehicle with a nonresponsive occupant. Look inside the vehicle for indicators of a potential chemical suicide—warning signs posted on the windows, the smell of rotten eggs, large containers used to mix the components to produce hydrogen sulfide or other toxic gases, and chemical residue. Often, the interior door handles will be broken off and the interior vents sealed with tape.
If chemical suicide is suspected, do not open the vehicle or break the windows, Oreshan warned. Appropriate respiratory protection should be worn. The escaping atmosphere will be severely toxic, and deadly to those in the immediate vicinity. However, the toxicity declines within minutes on ventilation. In one incident, a police deputy saw the unresponsive victim, smashed a window, and immediately fell to his knees on exposure to the atmosphere. He suffered temporary loss of vision, but recovered eventually.
Oreshan also detailed decontamination procedures for responder and victim, and transporting the body. He wrote the November 2011 Fire Engineering article, “The Chemical Suicide Phenomenon, http://emberly.fireengineering.com/articles/print/volume-164/issue-11/departments/fire-service_ems/the-chemical-suicide-phenomenon.html, and recommended looking at a guide “Chemical Assisted Suicide: Responder Information, ” http://emberly.fireengineering.com/content/dam/fe/online-articles/documents/2011/11/ChemicalAssistedSuicideResponderInfo.pdf
