What Are Chemical Weapons?

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What Are Chemical Weapons?
A Guide to Understanding the Threat of
Chemical Weapons
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Chemical Weapons
A chemical substance intended to poison people
and the environment.
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Types of Chemical Agents
An agents effect depends on

• Nerve agents
• (Sarin and Vioxin)
• Lung-damaging/choking agents
• (chlorine and phosgene)
• Blood Agents
• (cyanide)
• Blister-causing agents
• (mustard gas)
• Incapacitating/riot-control agents
• (CS gas)

• Purity of the chemical
• Its concentration in the air
• Wind and weather conditions at the time of its
  release
• Length of a victims exposure

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Well Known Chemical Substances

• Sarin
• Nerve agent
• Can be fatal in a few minutes without antidote
  treatment
• Difficult to produce
• Vioxin
• The deadliest long lasting nerve agent
• Must take antidote immediately
• Requires extreme caution to handle
• Mustard Gas
• Blister-causing agents
• Not always fatal. First aid is very important.
• Remains toxic to the soil for decades

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Plan, Prepare and Practice (3 Ps)

• Make a list of emergency phone numbers
• Have an emergency supply kit
• Check on school emergency plans for
• your school-age children
• Decide which room of your home to seek shelter
• Practice your plan

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Emergency Supply Kit
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How Will We Know?
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What to Do During a Chemical Attack

• If you are not near the affected area
• Listen to official reports
• If the chemical is outdoors and you are indoors
• Stay indoors
• Turn off all ventilation
• Seek shelter in an internal room
• Remain in protected areas
• If the chemical is within the same building as
  you are located
• Get out of the building
• If that is not possible
• Try to move far away
• Seek shelter in an internal room

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What to Do During a Chemical Attack

• If you are outside
• Leave the affected area as quickly as possible
• Find shelter
• If you are in your car
• Stay inside with engine off
• Windows rolled up with vents off
• If safe, drive away from affected area

Follow official instructions
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What to Do After a Chemical Attack

• If exposed
• Remove your clothes
• Decontaminate your hands
• Change into uncontaminated clothes
• Use extreme caution when helping others
• Never leave the safety of a shelter until
  authorities announce it is safe to do so

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What to Do After a Chemical Attack

• Seek medical attention
• Do not call 9-1-1
• Pay close attention to official information

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What Else Can We Do?

• Stay informed
• Be aware of your surroundings
• Volunteer

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Plan, Prepare and Practice
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County Board of Supervisors Greg Cox, District 1
Dianne Jacob, District 2Pam Slater, District 3
Ron Roberts,District 4Bill Horn, District 5
Chief Administrative OfficerWalter F.
Ekard Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, Public
Safety GroupW. Harold Tuck, Jr.
County of San Diego Office of Emergency
Services Deborah Steffen, Director
Developed for the County of San Diego Office of
Emergency Services