Answer to Question #4247 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

I reside in New York City where I intend to live for quite some time. Given the risk I face living in such a high profile city, I would like to purchase a high quality/top of the line nuclear/biological/chemical (NBC) suit and mask in the event I am caught in a contaminated area from a dirty bomb and need to flee. Do you have any suggestions on how I can compare the various suits and masks offered today? Ultimately, I would prefer to purchase a suit with maximum protection for the broadest array of NBC agents. Any suggestions on brands, features or other considerations would be most appreciated.

A lot of people in New York, Washington, Los Angeles, and other cities share your worries, one of the reasons why personal protective equipment such as what you describe is on its way to becoming a holiday stocking-stuffer.  I am personally sort of equivocal about it; I do not have any chemical or biological suits in my closet and don't really plan on getting any for myself or my family.  The suits can be hot, heavy, and require periodic checks to confirm their integrity; and masks are all of the above, along with being dangerous unless you receive training and maintain your skills.  For example, in the Navy we all received training and lots of practice, but I still saw people pass out by making relatively simple mistakes—one would probably have died if he hadn't been surrounded by others who figured out what was happening.  I also know that people wearing protective equipment can feel a sense of invulnerability, taking risks they might otherwise avoid; from this perspective, you may actually be in greater danger.  So, while I can certainly understand your desire to take whatever measures possible to help ensure your safety, I am not entirely certain that purchasing specialty protective equipment is the best way to go.
 
The advice I give my family and friends is that, in the event of a radiological or chemical attack, there are a few things that you should do as soon as possible:
 
If you are upwind, don't worry.  Stay indoors, shut doors and windows, set the ventilation to recirculate inside air (if possible), listen to the news, and try to relax.  Germs, chemicals, and radioactivity can't travel upwind.
 
If you are downwind, you should again go inside, shut doors and windows, and turn on the news.  In addition, you should change your clothes and take a shower if you can (at the very least, remove outer layers of clothing and wash your hands and face).  Most importantly, STAY PUT unless you are told to evacuate—if you try to leave the area, your car will only add to traffic congestion, making things worse for everyone.
 
If you are still intent on trying to find a suit, here are a few things to consider:

• Try to cover your whole body.  This means coveralls, gloves, shoe covers, head covering, and at least a dust mask or (preferrably) surgical mask over your mouth and nose.  I really do not recommend a military-style gas mask for the reasons noted above.
   
• Get a suit with the minimum number of openings.  For example, a one-piece coverall is better than a shirt and pants.  A coverall without a zipper (that is, one that you pull on with a drawstring at the neck) is better than one with a zipper.  Every opening needs to be taped up to reduce infiltration, so fewer openings means less work to seal it up.
   
• Keep a roll of duct tape with the suit.  You'll use this to tape the tops of your gloves to the sleeves, and to tape the shoe covers (or booties) to the bottoms of the legs.  If you have a zipper on the suit, you'll want to tape that up, too.
   
• Having a waterproof suit will, of course, help keep out many liquids.  However, some chemicals can penetrate some kinds of plastics, and it's unlikely that you'll find something that will keep out all chemicals.  Radioactive materials are unlikely to be in a liquid form, so being waterproof is not terribly important for radiological weapons.  On the other hand, if you have a plastic or rubber suit, you will end up soaking wet with sweat and you run the risk of heat stroke or dehydration (at least during warm or hot weather).

Finally, beware of opportunistic vendors hawking their wares!  Many of the ads I have seen are really overblown—heavy on fear and cost, light on factual information.  Again, I do not recommend spending a lot of money on protective equipment for anyone other than first responders, and I am not telling any of those close to me to buy their own gear.  But if you are really determined to do so, I would recommend contacting your city fire department or emergency response office to find out who they purchase their protective clothing from, what they use, or what they recommend for "ordinary" citizens. 

You might also consider looking at the Health Physics Society Affiliates Web page and contacting one of our affiliate members who sells protective equipment.  One last comment—most of the established emergency equipment vendors have names that are not very timely or exciting; I would hesitate before buying from a company with a timely or exciting name  because I would suspect that they sprang into being solely to capitalize on public fears, and they may lack the experience and understanding that would let them give you sound advice.
        
P. Andrew Karam, PhD, CHP