Chemical Suicide

In the last few years, the incidence of chemical or detergent suicide has been on the rise in the U.S. While law enforcement is often the first on the scene, fire and EMS teams are a vital part of the response team. Mixing deadly concoctions of household chemicals in an enclosed space such as a vehicle creates a deadly gas, causing asphyxiation of the victim and a continued threat to anyone in the vicinity. This is of particular concern if the victim is transported to an emergency room, where off gassing can endanger EMS personnel, doctors, nurses and patients.  If an emergency room is contaminated, the entire facility may need to be shut down, making it unavailable for other emergencies.