Policy Text
A. PURPOSE
To enhance officer protection and Departmental mission readiness by establishing a formal
Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical (NBC) protective equipment program.
Background: In recent years the threat to police officers from NBC environmental hazards
has grown significantly. Terrorism, both domestic and international, has dramatically
increased, peaking in the terrorist attacks against New York and Washington on September
11, 2001. Secondly, illicit narcotic production laboratories have been discovered in every
region of the country including So Fla. Finally, the ability to maintain control of Civil
Disturbances is a standing mission of all police departments. One of the most effective
control techniques is the use of police chemical agents, (CS & CN); police officers
therefore, must have effective protective equipment. While it is highly unlikely that these
agents would be deployed except in the rarest of instances, due to close hour proximities, all
eventualities must be realized. Thus, the appropriate functioning equipment is a must.
DEFINITIONS:
B. Bound Seam. A clean-finished binding that encapsulates the raw edges of two plies of
fabric. All layers are sewn through with a chain stitch.
C. Taped Seam. A very strong seam produced when a sewn seam is covered with a strip of
compatible material. The strip is attached by heat sealing as with film laminated materials.
D. Serged Seam. A seam where three threads are interlocked around the raw edges of two
plies of material.
F. Department. Miami Springs Police Department
I. Electrometric. “Rubber” based materials; e.g. Butyl, Neoprene, and Viton. Typically
durable but have limited chemical resistance.
J. Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health (IDLH). Means an atmosphere that poses an
immediate threat to life, would cause irreversible adverse health effects, or would impair an
individual’s ability to escape from a dangerous atmosphere. Atmosphere that poses an
immediate threat to life, would cause irreversible adverse health effects, or would impair an
Page 1 of 10
individual’s ability to escape from a dangerous atmosphere.
K. Level A Protection. The highest available level of respiratory, skin, and eye protection.
Requires a fully encapsulating vapor protective suit with supplied breathing air. A chemical
designated level A has a high vapor pressure, is toxic through skin absorption or is
carcinogenic.
L. Level B Protection. The same level of respiratory protection as level A but less skin
protection required. Suits are usually fully encapsulating but not gas tight. Level B
chemicals are not vapors or gases with skin toxicity or carcinogenic.
M. Level C Protection. Air purifying respirator and a coverall style HazMat suit. Strictly for
non-IDLH environments.
N. Level D Protection. Regular duty uniform, protective gloves and boots are optional.
0. High efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter means a filter that is at least 99.97%
efficient in removing mono-disperse particles of 0.3 micrometers in diameter. The
equivalent NIOSH 42 CFR 84 particulate filters are the N100, R100, and P100 filters.
0. OSHA. Occupational Safety & Health Administration
R. Personnel. Miami Springs Police Department Personnel
T. Protective Mask. A full-face tight fitting NBC respirator mask equipped with a NATO 40
mm threaded APR socket.
U. QLFT. Qualitative Fit Testing means a pass/fail fit test to assess the adequacy of
respirator fit that relies on the individual’s response to the test agent.
V. QNFT. Quantitative Fit Testing means an assessment of the adequacy of respirator fit by
numerically measuring the amount of leakage into the respirator.