SECUR-PAK™ proudly introduces the SECUR-ID™ Decon Property Bag

In preparation for a Mass Casualty Incident, a number of different decontamination systems, portable or fixed, are being deployed by fire departments and hospitals. These systems will be used to decontaminate hundreds of victims - ambulatory and non-ambulatory - before they leave the incident scene and before the self-referrals are permitted to enter a hospital emergency department or transport vehicle.

The three major problems with any mass decon system:

Removal of the victim’s outer garments is the first step in the individual decontamination process to be followed by showering, donning a cover garment, and then given medical attention as needed. In any decon system, it is expected that a number of victims will have concerns about the potential loss of their property (wallets, purses, coats, shoes, etc.) creating a slowdown or even a brief stoppage of the decon process.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has stated that all of the victim’s clothing and other property are Crime Scene Evidence and must be controlled in a manner to identify the item to specific victims with a documented chain of protection and proof of non-tampering. Meeting this need would require manpower dedicated to paperwork tying the articles of clothing to each owner.

In the event that the victims’ property can be returned (decontaminated or false alarm), many times the “Rolex Complex” occurs, where a number of victims “claim” the loss of valuables that were not placed into the decon property bag.

The SECUR-ID™ Decon Property Bag (DPB) solves all three of these problems.

The victim places his/her outer garments in the tamper-evident bag with a unique pre-printed ID number and bar code. The victim then removes a wearable wrist receipt with the matching ID number and bar code and puts it on. No responder manpower is needed to write on bags or to instruct victims on what to write. A series of pictographic instructions are printed on each bag to explain how to use them.

1. The victim removes outer garments/shoes and loads them into the SECUR-ID™ Bag.
   


2. The SECURTAPE™is removed and the bag is sealed close.


3. The victim removes the top strip and places the wearable SECUR-ID™ receipt over his/her wrist.

The heart of the SECUR-ID™ DPB’s security system is the patented span class="trademark">SECUR-PAK™ Tamper Evident sealing and closure system. Available exclusively on SECUR-PAK™ Tamper Evident bags, SECURTAPE is impervious to all temperature controlling agents. Any attempt to open the bag will leave instantly visible signs. The word “VOID” will appear when a cooling agent is used, while heating the seal will cause the word “TAMPERED” to appear.

Benefits of the SECUR-ID™ Property bag system:

• Prevents Slowdown or Stoppage.
  Victims will move more smoothly and quickly through the first stage of the Decon process because they will see their property is being protected and have a numbered receipt for their valuables. When the victim is processed through hospital admissions the SECUR-ID DPB receipt number is included in the patient’s records and the wearable receipt can be discarded or put into the patient’s file.



• Crime Scene Management of Evidence
  After any Mass Casualty Incident, the SECUR-ID™ DPB simplifies the recovery of evidence. It is possible that clear evidence of exposure to specific toxic substances would be necessary in a criminal trial. That evidence needs to be traceable. With the hospitalized victim decontaminated, it is possible that all of the evidence is gone – except the evidence of contamination on the victims’ clothing and other articles. The unique ID connection of the wearable receipt and DPB ties the victim to the evidence. The SECUR-PAK™ tamper-evident seal on each bag protects the evidence and keeps it contained.



• Reduces Damage Claims
  Fire Departments and hospitals reduce their risk of future damage claims for lost property by using a traceable tamper-evident container. It is correct and proper to plan on the potential recovery of victims’ property that was removed in the decon process.