Extreme cold weather creates a significant cold weather challenge for hazardous materials response. When chemical spills, chemical releases, or vapor threats occur in cold-weather environments, traditional decontamination methods—especially water-based decontamination—can become ineffective or unsafe.
Dry decontamination in cold weather provides an alternative approach that supports emergency decontamination when freezing risk and ambient conditions limit conventional options.
In December 2025, the White House issued an executive order designating illicit fentanyl and its core precursor chemicals as a weapon of mass destruction (WMD). This designation reflects a growing federal acknowledgment that fentanyl is not only a driver of the opioid crisis, but also a serious hazardous materials threat to first responders, including law enforcement, fire,… Continue reading Fentanyl Decontamination and Responder Safety: Why Federal Designation Matters for First Responders
When a material is unknown, delaying action can increase exposure risk, allow contamination to spread, and endanger both responders and the public. An effective emergency response plan must account for this reality and prioritize immediate hazard reduction alongside identification efforts.
Hospitals today face increasing risks from hazardous materials, chemical incidents, toxic industrial chemicals (TICs), and chemical warfare agents (CWAs). These events require specialized safety protocols, appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and established decontamination protocols to protect both staff and patients. Yet most facilities remain underprepared to manage a chemical release or mass chemical exposure during a mass casualty event. A recent report revealed that nearly 70% of hospitals are unprepared for chemical and biological emergencies. Additional research supports this trend: many emergency departments lack operational readiness for chemical emergency medical management or hospital patient decontamination.
This November, the FAST-ACT team continued its commitment to advancing chemical preparedness and CBRN defense through nationwide engagement and collaboration. From Charleston to Los Angeles and Fort Campbell, FAST-ACT and its partners showcased how dry decontamination technology enhances operational readiness and response efficiency across military, emergency, and defense sectors.
While campaigns like USPS Hazmat Awareness Month help reinforce safety practices, incidents related to hazardous package handling can happen at any time of the year, from chemical spills to opioid exposure or lithium battery leaks.
Ensuring employee safety requires a combination of awareness, proper handling protocols, and practical chemical decontamination tools that can neutralize threats quickly.
FAST-ACT is proud to announce its recent success in securing a tender with the Ministry of Interior (MoI) in Croatia for specialized decontamination equipment.
FAST-ACT conducted a live dry decontamination demonstration with the Dallas Fire Department and multiple Dallas-area agencies, showcasing how first responders can rapidly and safely neutralize chemical threats using FAST-ACT technology.
This blog will explain the scale and stakes of these events, highlight why chemical decontamination and decontamination methods are essential to safety, and reaffirm how FAST-ACT’s solutions merge with personal protective equipment (PPE) and multiagency workflow to deliver readiness, efficiency, and confidence.
During a mass casualty incident involving chemical agents or hazardous materials, every second counts. Hospitals must act quickly to protect patients, staff, and infrastructure while maintaining operations within the hospital environment. Traditional wet decontamination systems, which rely on large volumes of water and extended setup, can slow down an emergency response when speed is critical. … Continue reading Hospital Dry Decontamination: A Faster, More Efficient Approach to Emergency Response
