Which is correct for technical decontamination?

• A. Groups of no more than 4 responders should go through decontamination together.
• B. Responders and victims should be decontaminated together.
• C. Responders should radio or use hand signals when they are reporting to decontamination
• D. The first step is to complete vacuuming.

Answer: (B)

Technical decontamination focuses on removing contaminants from anyone who has been exposed and doing it in a way that prevents spreading those contaminants to clean areas. Decontaminating both responders and victims together at the same decon line helps ensure that contaminants are removed promptly from everyone, reduces the risk of carrying contamination from the hot zone into the cold zone, and keeps the workflow efficient by coordinating the same decon steps for all involved. This joint approach also supports safer PPE doffing, since everyone passes through the same decon process and is cleared before leaving the contaminated area.

Vacuuming as the first step isn’t standard practice because it can aerosolize hazardous materials and isn’t the recommended initial decon method. Limiting groups to a fixed size or focusing on radio signaling for reporting to decon doesn’t address the primary goal of preventing secondary contamination and ensuring complete decontamination for all involved.