Development of Field-Executable Sample Collection Protocols for USCG Assets following a Biological Incident
Citation:
Calfee, W., A. Touati, B. Wyrzykowska-Ceradini, J. Sawyer, T. Chamberlain, AND E. Morris. Development of Field-Executable Sample Collection Protocols for USCG Assets following a Biological Incident. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-22/009, 2022.
Impact/Purpose:
This report outlines sample collection procedures for United States Coast Guard (USCG) assets and bases. These procedures are in a format consistent with the USCG Maintenance Procedure Cards (MPC) and can be used to better plan and execute the sampling operations for USCG small response boats, vessels, a USCG port/base, or any large outdoor urban area, following a biological contamination incident. This work was coordinated with and managed by the EPA’s Homeland Security Research Program (HSRP) under the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate funded Analysis for Coastal Operational Resiliency (AnCOR) project.
Description:
This study was conducted to help the USCG recover rapidly following a biological contamination incident and return assets to duty. Determination of asset contamination status is necessary to make decisions regarding asset safety and deployability. The outcome of the study described in this report provides data and information that can be used to inform sampling operations following an outdoor biological contamination incident impacting a USCG base. Ultimately, it is desired that these procedures will facilitate a rapid recovery following a large-scale biological incident.