The goal of an emergency decontamination procedure is to:

• A. Completely remove all possible contamination while protecting the environment from runoff
• B. Remove any residual contamination after gross decontamination is completed
• C. Eliminate cross contamination of hospital personnel
• D. Quickly remove any threatening contamination

Answer: (D)

The main point is to rapidly reduce exposure by removing the contaminant as fast as possible. In an emergency, the priority is to minimize absorption and prevent spread to others, so the goal is to quickly strip off or rinse away any threatening contamination. It’s understood that not every trace will be eliminated immediately, but halting the hazard quickly buys time and protects both the affected person and responders. More thorough decontamination and environmental protections can follow once the urgent danger is controlled. While complete cleanliness or preventing every ounce of residue is ideal, the immediate objective in an emergency decontamination procedure is the swift removal of the contaminant to reduce risk.