Local PD in the community (I cover the hospital ER),  is quite liberal in their application of OC.
(for good cause I might add)
I got a usual obnoxious, agitated, totally inebriated walking rectum who decided he needed to be seen in the ER after officer R dispensed his compliance elixer. Anyway, I had to help wrestle with Poncho Villa, still cuffed, to help keep him from tearing up the ER and us. Nedless to say the OC got on me and a nurse. Is the BIO Shield spray effective to help decontainate?
The shower did not help very much, changed sruubs, and I was not able to see patients for 20 mins.
Officer R didn't seem to be bothered too much, and was slightly amused.


Lebrew

bio - shield alone, nope, water alone, nope, time, fresh air, and water constantly for about 10 minutes, yup!  just got to see it through.  after about 4 to 8 times of getting it on you / in you, your tolerance level just changes.  you accept the burn better.  however, there are some people that it effects in no waay at all!  I however am not one of those people, but my tolerance is higher after my 10th spray!

c

OC doesn't really bother me unless I take a full on hit in the face with it....but that only happens in training.  Otherwise it doesn't hurt that bad when I get it on the hands and arms.

For the face shots, the only thing that works for me is Johnsons Baby Shampoo and lots of water.  

Something I do to keep the run off away from the "sensitive parts" is  take a large trash bag and cut out the bottom.  I then put it around my waist and secure it with duct tape.  I wash my face and hair five or six times using the baby shampoo....making sure I get around my eyes and ears really well each time.  After I get out of the shower I dry off and sit in front of a large box fan and drink a beer or few.

One of our local paramedics, who is very involved in shooting & training, came up with a home-brew remedy for the guys who have to be sprayed during training. IIRC, he mixed distilled water, sugar & Johnson's Baby Shampoo together. We tried it on the last officers who had to take a hit in training, & they all said that their eyes quit burning & tearing almost immediately when it was sprayed into the eyes. The hardest part was getting their eyes pried open to spray the mixture directly into the eyes.

This is probably not practical for decon your scrubs, etc., but it might help where you have OC on skin, in your eyes, etc. If you want his recipe, I will ask him for the proportions he used in the mix.


Edited to add: Unless you're really into pain, don't do what I did & try to take out your contacts after getting the OC on your hands. No amount of washing seems to get all of it off your fingers. I think taking my contacts out hurt worse than a full shot in the face .....One of our guys, after washing his hands decided to take a leak. He spent the next several hours sitting in a tub of cold water

Why are they coming to the hospital?

OC spray shouldn't require a hospital trip unless it's effects last over 45 minutes, or there is a severe reaction to it.

Maybe you could avoid the problem all together if the hospital would get with the PD's to say they won't check out people who have been OC'ed unless there is an unusual effect noted.

For decon, fresh air, preferably moved by a large fan.

Quoted: Why are they coming to the hospital? OC spray shouldn't require a hospital trip unless it's effects last over 45 minutes, or there is a severe reaction to it. Maybe you could avoid the problem all together if the hospital would get with the PD's to say they won't check out people who have been OC'ed unless there is an unusual effect noted. For decon, fresh air, preferably moved by a large fan.

The screws at at the local county lock up will not accept anyone who has been pepper sprayed unless they go to the E.R. and get "decontaminated".

Poncho demanded medical attention, PD obligated to bring him, I'm obligated to evaluate every patient who presents to the ED for true emergencies( I see very few true emergencies).
Most folks think I have to treat everyone, but the fact is I have to evaluate them and treat the true emergencies. Im a nice guy, so I treat everyone.
Lebrew

Quoted: Why are they coming to the hospital? OC spray shouldn't require a hospital trip unless it's effects last over 45 minutes, or there is a severe reaction to it. Maybe you could avoid the problem all together if the hospital would get with the PD's to say they won't check out people who have been OC'ed unless there is an unusual effect noted. For decon, fresh air, preferably moved by a large fan.

The litigious possibilities are endless. Denying someone medical care when they request it is just fuel for their lawyers at a later date. You can not deny a patient eval/treatment if they request it where I work. I'm sure it's the same most other places too. The exception is that a desk officer(a Sgt ot Lt.) has the discretion to Refuse Medical Aid(RMA) for the patient taking the responsibility of the patient's well being onto his shoulders. In my 14 years a a paid medical provider, it hasn't happend on my watch. No St or Lt is going to lose his job over a whiny shithead. It's easier to send the mope for the eval.

My department had 6 in custody deaths between 88 and 92. All had one or more of ther following, some type of drugs in their system(illicit or prescribed), history of mental illness, a violent period of aggressive physical combat with the responding officers, sub theraputic levels of psyche meds in their system, a history of asthma or heart problems, or alcohol on board.

Add them up, you get problems. Safer to send the patient out for a quick check then end up going to court over it


Any medical complaint gets taken to the hospital bafre going to detention. There they receive a "fit for confinement" eval. In my department,detention will not accept the patient/subject if they have a complaint and haven't been evaluated.

A hospital would never refuse treatment to a patient requesting it. Wholly impossibe  and highly litigatable. Absic violation of someone's rights, no matter how big a shitbird they are.

BioShield is a waste of time and money.  

Baby shampoo and lots of water, plus time.  Be VERY careful where the runoff goes!

Quoted: Quoted: Why are they coming to the hospital? OC spray shouldn't require a hospital trip unless it's effects last over 45 minutes, or there is a severe reaction to it. Maybe you could avoid the problem all together if the hospital would get with the PD's to say they won't check out people who have been OC'ed unless there is an unusual effect noted. For decon, fresh air, preferably moved by a large fan. The litigious possibilities are endless. Denying someone medical care when they request it is just fuel for their lawyers at a later date. You can not deny a patient eval/treatment if they request it where I work. I'm sure it's the same most other places too. The exception is that a desk officer(a Sgt ot Lt.) has the discretion to Refuse Medical Aid(RMA) for the patient taking the responsibility of the patient's well being onto his shoulders. In my 14 years a a paid medical provider, it hasn't happend on my watch. No St or Lt is going to lose his job over a whiny shithead. It's easier to send the mope for the eval. My department had 6 in custody deaths between 88 and 92. All had one or more of ther following, some type of drugs in their system(illicit or prescribed), history of mental illness, a violent period of aggressive physical combat with the responding officers, sub theraputic levels of psyche meds in their system, a history of asthma or heart problems, or alcohol on board. Add them up, you get problems. Safer to send the patient out for a quick check then end up going to court over it Any medical complaint gets taken to the hospital bafre going to detention. There they receive a "fit for confinement" eval. In my department,detention will not accept the patient/subject if they have a complaint and haven't been evaluated. A hospital would never refuse treatment to a patient requesting it. Wholly impossibe  and highly litigatable. Absic violation of someone's rights, no matter how big a shitbird they are.

I'm pretty sure the guidlines I listed are the guidelines that Def-Tec teaches.

The jail I book people into has 24/7 medical coverage. Every person brought has a questionaire done on them by the arresting officer. Then the booking officer asks specific medical, mental questions. Those questionaires are reviewed by a nurse prior to the person being placed into a housing unit. Also if the booking officer has any concerns they person will be eval'ed by the nurse prior to the arrestee being accepted in the jail.

If you answer yes to herion use, you don't go in.

A lot of jails won't take people with medical problems, including being sprayed with OC, without medical clearance. The jail we deal with is privatized. They have 24/7 medical personell but still won't take anyone sprayed with OC, so drunk they can't mantain consciousness, communicable diseases like HIV or Hep, without clearance from the Hospital. Liability for them, don't you know. What that means is that most we arrest, unless it's for a very bad or violent crime, are released on their own regognizance with a summons instead of locked up. Our Dept just doesn't have the money to take then to the ER, pay an Officer to sit with them then pay the medical bill. Sucks, but there it is. I'm sure a LOT of other Depts are in the same boat.

Bub