Submitted by Barb McKown
Community Outreach Coordinator
On July, 29, 2004, Minnie Hamilton Health Care Center, Inc. received a three-line decontamination tent from the West Virginia State Office of Emergency Services. The tent will be used in the event of a chemical or biological incident for the decontamination of patients brought to MHHCC.
There were twenty-nine members of MHHCC and Calhoun Emergency Services (EMS) on hand to receive classroom and field instruction on the proper procedures for erecting the tent and use of auxiliary equipment. Instruction was provided by WVU Fire Service Extension.
 Following instruction, the staff and members of EMS were able to erect the tent and hook up all auxiliary equipment in approximately twelve minutes.
 The tent is equipped to process three patients at a time.
A conveyor system is available for those patients unable to walk.
 CEO Barb Lay is briefed by instructor Eldon Hagedorn on the tent layout.
 Chief Operating Officer Steve Whited
explains the tent's capability to Dr. Suresh.
 WVU Fire Service Extension instructors
(L-R) Corey Thomas, Eldon Hagedorn,
Jimmy Lipcomb and Terry Rinehart.
MHHCC received the tent as part of a Homeland Security Grant through the State Office of Emergency Services. The decontamination tent will be stored at MHHCC for quick access in the case of an emergency.
The decontamination tent fully erected.
| 
