b. Casualties who require further medical treatment are placed in the clean
waiting area for admission to the CPS. The collective protective shelter may be an
M51, tentage, an unoccupied building, or other chemical shelter. When a collective
shelter is not available, a clean treatment area should be established under an
overhead cover at a distance of 100 meters to reduce the risk of contamination. Each
patient and all other personnel who enter through the chemical protective shelter must
enter through the air lock.
c. Casualties who are stable and do not require further treatment will be placed
in a patient protective wrap and moved to the clean holding area to wait for evacuation.
2-7.
ROUTE CASUALTIES THROUGH THE COLLECTIVE PROTECTIVE
SHELTER
a. The internal configuration of the collective protective shelter will depend on
the tactical situation, such as the presence or absence of toxic agents, the number of
casualties, and the available means of evacuation to the medical treatment facilities
(MTFs).
b. All casualties and personnel who enter the air lock must have been
decontaminated.
c. A medic will control the flow of casualties and personnel through the air lock.
Two litter patients at a time can be processed through the air lock. The air space is
purged after the air lock doors are closed. The medic then removes the patient's
protective mask and places it in a plastic bag.
d. Patients are moved from the air lock into the emergency medical service
(EMS) section. Patients who need minor surgery are treated in the EMS and then
moved to the postoperative area where they are placed in a PPW to await exit from the
shelter.
e. Patients who required surgery are moved from the EMS to the pre-operative
area to wait for admission to the operating room (OR) for treatment.
f. Following the surgical procedure, the patients are moved from the OR to the
post operative area. They are placed in PPWs to wait exit from the shelter to the rear
holding area.
MD0537
2-6