Unless cleared by a hazmat specialist, an EMT is expected to _____ ______ and not begin ______ ______ until patients have been decontaminated or otherwise cleared by hazmat crews.

• A. Enter; begin care
• B. Not enter; begin decontamination
• C. Not enter; emergency care
• D. Enter; assess hazards first

Answer: (C)

In hazmat situations, safety hinges on keeping EMS personnel out of the contaminated area and waiting for the hazmat team to decontaminate patients or declare the scene safe before you proceed. The best approach is to refrain from entering and to withhold emergency care until clearance is given. This protects you, your crew, and other patients from secondary contamination and prevents spreading the hazardous material. Entering without clearance would expose you to the hazard, and starting decontamination or performing an on-scene hazard assessment before clearance is outside the proper protocol.