GARRARD COUNTY CSEPP

EMERGENCY PLANNING BOOKLET

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Emergency plans for the

Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program

*Important Information*

Keep this booklet handy

CSEPP

Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program

CSEPP EMERGENCY PLANNING BOOKLET

Keep this booklet in a convenient place where your entire family can find it. More important, discuss the emergency information in this booklet with family members and friends. This booklet tells you what to do if there is a chemical accident at the Bluegrass Army Depot.

Please read this information!

This is information is provided by Garrard County Emergency Management and Garrard County CSEPP with the help of Kentucky Emergency Management and the Department of the Army. This information can protect you in an emergency.

For more information contact:

Garrard County Emergency Management Agency

Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program

308 West Maple Ave., Suite 3

Lancaster, Ky. 40444

(859) 792-4786

Information on the Web

FEMA http://www.fema.gov/

KY EM http://kyem.ky.gov

KY CSEPP http://kentuckycsepp.com

Garrard CSEPP/EMA http://www.garrardema.com

Table of Contents	2
What is CSEPP?	3
Chemical Activity, Chemical Operations, Emergency Response	4
Alert And Notification	5
Ready, Set, Act	6
Evacuation	7
Evacuation Kit	8
Shelter – In – Place	9
Shelter – in – Place Kit	10
Nerve Agent	11
Blister Agent	12
Evacuation Map and PAZ area instructions	13
Glossary of CSEPP terms	14
What is City Watch?	15
Family Disaster Kit	16
The Family Plan	17
Kids Come First	18
Kids Coloring Pages	19-22
Important Telephone Numbers	23
Garrard County EMA Address	24

Table of Contents

What is CSEPP?

In 1985, Congress directed the Army to destroy its entire stockpile of chemical weapons in the safest manner possible. Many of these weapons are 40 years old or older and were built to deter other countries from using chemical weapons of their own against the United States. While the risk of an accident or incident involving the stored chemical is very small, the increasing age of the weapons increases the risk.

The Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP) is an outstanding example of partnership among the Department of the Army, DHS, States, Tribal Nations and local jurisdictions. The common goal among these government agencies is to develop and enhance the emergency preparedness capabilities of the in the unlikely event of a chemical accident at the Blue Grass Army Depot.

Ten States, 41 counties, and one Tribal Nation surrounding the eight U.S. Army stockpile sites participate in CSEPP. The eight States hosting installations with chemical stockpiles are: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland (stockpile eliminated; site closed), Oregon, and Utah. Two additional States, Illinois and Washington, also participate in the program because of their borders' proximity to the stockpiles in Indiana and Oregon, respectively. The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation in Oregon also actively participate in the program. Thirteen (13) counties are in Immediate Response Zones, the areas closest to where the chemical agents are stored and generally within approximately a ten-mile radius. Twenty-five counties are in Protective Action Zones, beginning at the outer edge of the Immediate Response Zones and extending to a distance of between six and 31 miles. The remaining three counties are designated as host counties, which lie outside the Immediate Response Zones and Protective Action Zones.

In Kentucky, Madison County is classified as an Immediate Response Zone (IRZ), Garrard, Clark, Estill, Jackson, Powell and Rockcastle are classified as Protective Action Zones (PAZ), and Fayette, Jessamine and Laurel are classified as Host counties.

CSEPP is administered through the States. Funds are distributed to the States under Cooperative Agreements, based upon a negotiated work plan between the States and DHS Regional Offices. Under the agreements, each State identifies needs, develops proposed projects to meet those needs, requests funds, and disburses those funds at the State level and to local governments. CSEPP focuses on providing the personnel, equipment, and training necessary to establish a response infrastructure that enables emergency managers to quickly alert the public, manage the response, and communicate with the public, the media, and emergency responders. Equally important is public awareness of what to do in the event of an incident.

Since the beginning of the program, CSEPP communities have made significant progress and our communities are included among those best prepared in the nation.

Blue Grass Chemical Activity

The Blue Grass Chemical Activity, which is located on the Blue Grass Army Depot, near Richmond, Kentucky, has the responsibility for the storage, monitoring and eventual destruction of all chemical munitions stored there.

The three types of chemical agents stored at Blue Grass Chemical Activity include a blister agent, known as “mustard”, which began arriving in the 1940’s, and two nerve agents, GB and VX that began arriving in the 1960’s. The “mustard” blister agent is designed to incapacitate personnel while GB and VX, which are nerve agents, are designed to cause death.

All chemical munitions are stored in concrete bunkers covered with several feet of earth and called igloo’s. These “igloos” are in a high security area behind multiple razor wired fences with an around – the – clock armed security force authorized to use deadly force. The three liquid chemical agents are stored in different types of munitions. The agents are primarily contained in 155mm and 8” projectiles as well as M55 115mm rockets. The rockets contain either GB or VX agent and are fully assembled with agent, bursting charges, rocket propellant, rocket motors and igniters.

Chemical Operations

The chemical stockpile is monitored daily. Each day, emergency response plans are relayed to the Madison Co. Emergency Management Agency and the Emergency Operations Center. The plan factors in the location work, type of munitions and the local weather conditions.

Each Igloo containing M55 rockets is monitored once a week by the atmosphere of the igloo. The sample must be free of any trace of agent before the doors can be opened. On a rotating basis, more thorough sampling takes place as an air sample is drawn from a storage tube of individual rockets. Chemical detection plays an extremely important part in monitoring of the chemical stockpile and the sophisticated equipment used can detect samples well bellow the hazardous level.

Emergency Response

Should alarms sound or personnel at the chemical activity report a positive reading, an emergency response team is immediately activated. Workers leave the igloo, which is sealed and an air filtration system designed to remove agent is started. Most leaks of chemicals are detected at a level that is less than the amount that would come from a short burst of bug spray dispersed evenly inside a 2,000 square foot home.

All chemical activity employees and equipment are available for responding to a chemical emergency. Emergency response procedures are tested often and unannounced full-scale tests are conducted at different times to evaluate the ability to respond.

Alert and Notification

If there is an accident at the Blue Grass Army Depot, you will be notified in the same ways that you are notified during other emergencies such as severe weather.

· NOAA weather radios in homes and offices.

· Outdoor warning sirens - -

· A continuous, steady wail for 45 seconds means that a tornado warning has been issued for Garrard County or a tornado has been spotted in or near Garrard County.

· A continuous high – low sound ( the winding up and down of the siren) with a series of five up and down means that there has been and accident at the Blue Grass Chemical Activity requiring Garrard County to activate its Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program Plan.

· City of Lancaster will receive emergency messages through override of the local Adelphia cable system.

What to do if you hear a warning?

· Go inside

· Listen to your radio or TV

· Do Not Call 911

Tune into a local Emergency Alert System (EAS), formerly known as the Emergency Broadcast System (EBS). Through EAS, designated radio and television stations provide important emergency information. EAS is a direct link between you and public safety officials. You will be told what to do, day or night.

The local Emergency Broadcast System (EAS) stations for Garrard County are:

Tune your television to one of the four Lexington stations

WLEX

WKYT

WTVQ

FOX

Clear Channel Radio	94.5, 98.1, 100.1 and 104.5 FM
WRNZ	105.1 FM

FM Radio Stations TV Stations

The Bluegrass Army Depot, located in east central Kentucky, near the city of Richmond is one of eight locations in the nation where chemical weapons are stockpiled. Other sites are located in Anniston, Alabama; Pine Bluff, Arkansas; Pueblo, Colorado; Newport, Indiana; Edgewood, Maryland (stockpile eliminated; site closed); Umatilla, Oregon; and Deseret, Utah.

The Depot stores liquid nerve agents that could hurt you in a chemical stockpile accident. Nerve agents were created as a military weapon to kill. They interfere with what the nerves tell the body to do and can cause you to stop breathing and die. It is important to immediately take shelter in a sealed room or leave the area to protect yourself if you are instructed to do so.

A portion of Garrard County has been designated as a "Protective Action Zone" or (PAZ). In the event of a chemical accident occurring at BGAD, persons living in the PAZ could be at risk. Depending on the type of accident and weather conditions, persons in the Garrard County PAZ may be told to shelter in place or evacuate. Only persons in the PAZ will need to evacuate. To find out if your home, office or school is located in the PAZ, check the CSEPP PAZ map on page 13.

Ready, Set, Act

Your town and county emergency plans won’t work unless you do your part. You and your family, co-workers and neighbors need to be Ready and Set to Act quickly – whether at home, at work or at another location in your community – if there is a chemical stockpile accident at the Bluegrass Army Depot.

Ready means, “Know what to do.”

Know how you will hear about an emergency. Emergency officials use radio, television and route alerting. Some communities use additional systems, such as electronic message boards on highways. Learn which Emergency Alert System (EAS) radio and TV stations broadcast emergency messages for your community. Know what to do to be safe – shelter-in-place, evacuate or remain indoors and monitor an EAS station if no other protective action is recommended. Unless you are told to evacuate, stay off the roads so that those who have been instructed to leave and emergency responders are not hampered by unnecessary traffic. Know your community’s emergency zones and evacuation routes. Know whether home, work and other places you visit (park, friend’s home, doctor’s office, shopping center, etc.) may be in a danger area. Know the plans your child’s school and day care or recreation center has developed to keep them safe.

Set means, “Get it together.” Gather items to keep with you or in your car, home and workplace, and make:

A Shelter-In-Place Kit and an Evacuation Kit. You will also need a list of important phone numbers, including an out-of-town contact that family members can call after the emergency to say they are safe. Keep a copy of the list with you at all times and in your emergency kits. You will need a plan for home and work. After learning about your community’s emergency plans, decide exactly what you, family members and co-workers will do and how you are going to do it if you are told to evacuate or shelter-in-place. Consider what you will do when you are at home, at work, at a friend’s home, at a shopping center, at a doctor’s office, at a sports stadium or park, etc. Assign tasks and determine who will care for minors or people with special needs. Practice your shelter-in-place and evacuation plans often.

Act means, “Do it.” If a chemical stockpile accident happens:

Do what emergency officials recommend -- shelter-in-place, evacuate or stay where you are and monitor an EAS station for updates on the situation. Act immediately. Seconds matter. Don’t waste time looking for information or items not readily at hand.

Other tips:

Pets: Most American Red Cross shelters will not accept pets. Find out whether your community has special plans for pet care. Do you need to make your own pet care plan? Don’t delay departure or divert from the most direct designated evacuation route to look for or board your pet. Your family’s safety is more important. Always leave your pet with enough food and water for a few days.

Evacuation

Evacuation means to leave where you are and go to a safe place. Garrard County emergency officials may ask you to evacuate temporarily because of a chemical agent accident at the Bluegrass Army Depot. They will tell you what areas to evacuate, what roads to take, which way to go and when it’s safe to return. Evacuations are carefully planned to get people out of an area safely and quickly. Garrard County emergency officials already have evacuation plans for your community. To stay safe, leave immediately if advised to do so.

· Listen to emergency messages on local radio and television to find out if you are in an area that needs to evacuate. Write down the roads you should take and where you should go or use the evacuation map on page 13.

· If you don’t know which stations are your Emergency Alert System (EAS) stations, find out now. Ask Garrard County Emergency Management or CSEPP Office (859) 792-4786 where to find the stations on your AM and FM dials and programs an EAS station on your car radio.

· Take essentials for your health and safety, such as medication and eyeglasses. Don’t take time to gather anything else

· Keep car windows and air vents closed as you travel away from the danger area. Turn off the car’s air conditioner or heater.

· Do not call 9-1-1 unless you have a life-threatening situation such as a heart attack.

· If you need a ride, try to get a ride with a neighbor. If you can offer transportation to a close-by neighbor, co-worker or unattended children without transportation, who can leave immediately, do so.

· If you can’t evacuate for any reason, take shelter inside a building immediately. (See Shelter-in-Place fact sheet for more information on making your shelter as airtight as possible.) Listen to your EAS station(s) for further instructions and information.

· The schools will protect your children by evacuating or sheltering them. Don’t go to your child’s school unless told to do so by emergency or school officials. Listen to an EAS station to hear where and when to pick up your children.

If you don’t know what areas in your community may be at risk, call Garrard County Emergency Management Agency or CSEPP Office now, so you will have the information if you need it. Find out whether the places you live, work and visit (such as church, shopping centers and doctor’s office) are within the area that may be at risk. A reception center will be set up at the Hyattsville Church at the intersection of Ky52 and Ky1295. Once you have checked in at the reception center, you will be directed to a shelter in Lancaster at the Garrard County High School.

Contact Garrard County Emergency Management now to see if you should take pets with you. If not, bring them indoors (if you can find them quickly) and leave food and water for them.

Talk with your family (or business associates) now about your plans for evacuating. Assign each person a job so that you can leave quickly. Establish a place to meet your family (outside of the affected area) if you are not together when told to evacuate. If there is an emergency in Garrard County, including an incident involving the chemical stockpile at the Blue Grass Army Depot, you will be notified by one or more of the warning signals found on Page 5:

Evacuation Kit

Be prepared to evacuate immediately for an emergency such as a chemical agent accident at the Bluegrass Army Depot. Make your Evacuation Kit now so that you can leave quickly from home, work, shopping or elsewhere if you’re local officials instruct you to Evacuate. Always keep with you: a list of important phone numbers and prescriptions, driver’s license, identification, insurance and credit cards, check book and a 24-hour supply of prescription medications. Keep in your car at all times: a radio, evacuation maps (Page 13), flashlight with extra batteries, a blanket and one-quarter tank of fuel.

Evacuation Kit items you may need: Store them in your car so that you can leave quickly.

· A change of clothes for each person in your family (Remember to swap out the clothes each season. For example, store shorts in the summer, jackets and sweaters in the winter.)

· Diapers, baby food and other baby items, if your family has a baby

· Bottled water and non-perishable food. Include special diet foods (if needed).

· Quiet toys and/or books, if you have young children

· Pet food, leashes and special supplies, if you have a pet(s)

· This brochure, phone list with important work, school and medical numbers, identification, important personal papers, money, credit cards, checkbook(s), (Include the phone number(s) for out-of-town relative(s) or friend(s) whom each person in your family can call to say he or she is safe. If your family is not together when you need to evacuate, this is a good way to account for everyone.)

The last-minute additions: Make a list of the items and put the list in a prominent place so you can find it and the items quickly before evacuating. If you can’t find these items quickly, leave without them.

· Medications

· Eyeglasses

· Health and safety items you can’t keep with you or store in advance but would need if you had to evacuate (bedding, soap, and towels)

· Pets (Put your pet in a cage. Check with your local Emergency Management Agency now to see if there are special arrangements for pets. Put pets indoors, leaving them plenty of food and water. Most American Red Cross shelters will not allow pets.)

· Turn off stoves, ovens and space heaters

· Close and lock windows and doors

Ready, Set, Act!

Be Ready. Know what to do if you are instructed to evacuate. Be confident that you, your family members and co-workers have prepared and practiced your evacuation plans so that everyone will be safe, even when the family is apart. Have your Evacuation Kit Set to go out the door or keep it in your car. Keep essentials with you or in your car at all times. Act immediately if instructed to evacuate. Listen carefully to Emergency Alert System (EAS) messages on EAS radio stations for the safest route out of your area -- and to learn when it’s safe to return home.

Shelter-In-Place

Shelter-in-Place is an effective way to protect you from harmful chemicals that may be in the air. Emergency officials may tell you to Shelter-in-Place if an accident the Bluegrass Army Depot sends nerve or blister agent into the air. It is important to take shelter immediately, and to end shelter immediately when told to do so.

Shelter-in-Place is a short-term protection. It requires you to stay inside a sealed room for no more than a few hours until the outside air is again safe to breathe. Harmful vapors can work their way into a closed building and even a sealed room. Therefore, you must leave your shelter when experts decide the outside air is cleaner than what may be inside. Depending on the situation, you may be told to ventilate the shelter and building, go outside or leave the area.

Shelter-in-Place means that you go inside your home or the nearest accessible building without delay. Close and lock all windows and doors. Turn off heating, air conditioning and fans (any ventilation system). Shut air vents (heating, cooling, circulation and fireplace or wood-stove dampers). Quickly shut yourself in a room you can seal off from outside air. Select a room with as few exterior windows or other openings as possible so that you can quickly seal it. Block all openings to the room where outside air can leak in. If possible, use pre-cut plastic sheeting and duct tape to seal cracks and openings that may allow outside air to come into that room.

Take a radio into your shelter so that you can monitor an Emergency Alert System (EAS) station for further instructions. If you don’t know which stations are your EAS stations, call Garrard County Emergency Management or CSEPP Office now to find out (859-792-4786). If the shelter room you selected has no phone, take a cordless or cellular phone with you if you have one.

If your local officials recommend Shelter-in-Place:

Do not call 9-1-1 unless there is a life-threatening situation such as a heart attack.

· The schools will protect your children by evacuating or sheltering them. Tune to a local radio or TV station to learn where and when to pick up your children.

· Bring pets indoors if you can find them quickly.

· Go to a small room with few vents, windows and doors. A bathroom may be a good choice if you can seal all openings that might allow outside air into the room.

· Bring a radio with spare batteries, medicine, food or liquids that you might need over the next several hours. If you have a tone-alert radio (indoor warning system) that will work in the shelter room, take it with you.

Follow instructions immediately when told to end shelter. In order to bring fresh, clean air inside for you to breathe, you may be told to let outside air into the shelter and building as quickly as possible. Open windows and doors and turn on all air circulation systems and equipment. Thorough and quick ventilation, once local officials tell you to do so, is crucial so that you breathe fresh air as soon as possible.

You may be told to remain indoors in a well-ventilated location, to go outside or to leave the area and go to a specific location for medical screening and to ensure that everyone leaving the area is accounted for. If you cannot leave the area, you will be given special instructions to keep you safe where you are.

If you know you will not be able to follow shelter or end shelter instructions quickly and effectively without help, ask a neighbor or nearby relative about assistance or call Garrard County Emergency Management now to assist you with your personal or family emergency plan.

Shelter-In-Place Kit

Be prepared for an emergency such as a chemical nerve agent or blister agent accident at the Bluegrass Army Depot. Make your Shelter-in-Place Kit now so that you can seal your shelter immediately if your local officials instruct you to shelter-in-place.

The basics: Store them in your shelter room.

· A large bucket (and another container if needed) with lid to hold your supplies

· Pre-cut and labeled plastic sheeting to cover doors, windows, vents and inset cabinets, mirrors, electrical outlets and switches, etc. (Make sure you cut the plastic at least six inches larger than openings so you can tape it to the wall or floor.)

· Duct tape (a couple of rolls) to cover smaller openings and cracks that can’t be covered with plastic sheeting and to tape plastic sheeting to walls, ceiling, floor and doors

· Extra plastic sheeting in case the pre-cut sheeting tears or you need more

· Scissors to cut the tape and sheeting

· Bottled water (at least one gallon per person)

· Toilet tissue (The bucket can be used as a toilet.)

· A large plastic bag for any contaminated clothing (Seal it with the duct tape.)

· A radio with extra batteries

The last-minute additions: Make a list of these items and put it in a prominent place so you can find it and the items quickly on your way to your shelter room.

· A cordless or cellular phone, if you have one

· Any special health and safety items you can’t store in advance but would need if you have to stay in your shelter for several hours, such as medications and eye glasses

· Pets

Items you may need or want (depending on who will be in your shelter): Put any of these or other items you feel you’ll need or want with the basics in your shelter room now. Don’t delay taking shelter to search for them. Remember, you won’t be asked to Shelter-in-Place for more than a few hours.

· Baby supplies (diapers, formula, etc.)

· Pet supplies

· Pillows, blankets

· Toys, books, magazines, puzzle, etc.

· Snacks with a long shelf life.

· Change of clothing for each person in your shelter

Ready, Set, Act:

Be Ready. Have your Shelter-in-Place Kit Set in your shelter room. Act immediately if instructed to shelter-in-place. Remember, you won’t need to stay in your shelter for more than a few hours.

Nerve Agents

The Bluegrass Army Depot stores liquid nerve agents that could hurt you in a chemical stockpile accident. Nerve agents were created as a military weapon to kill. They interfere with what the nerves tell the body to do and can cause you to stop breathing and die. It is important to immediately take shelter in a sealed room or leave the area to protect yourself if you are instructed to do so.

How can I be hurt?

It would take an accident such as an explosion or a fire. In a fire, most of the nerve agent would burn up, but some would stay in the smoke. Emergency officials call this smoky cloud and the invisible parts around it “the plume.”

As the plume drifts away from the scene of the accident, small drops of nerve agent may fall to the ground. These small drops are called the aerosol. The aerosol can hurt you if it falls on you or if you touch, eat or drink something that the aerosol has contaminated. This is very unlikely because the aerosol is heavy and quickly falls out of the plume close to the accident site.

As the plume travels from the accident, some tiny parts of nerve agent, called vapor, stay in the plume. If you breathe the vapor, it can hurt you. Because the vapor travels farther from the accident than the aerosol, it is the greater danger to you. However, the vapor becomes less harmful the farther the plume travels. That’s because wind mixes clean air with the contaminated air as the plume travels. The clean air dilutes the agent until it is no longer harmful.

Think of it this way. Like nerve agent, perfume in a bottle is liquid. When you spray it, the liquid becomes an aerosol. If you spray the perfume on yourself, drops will cling to your skin, hair and clothes. If you are on the other side of the room or if you spray the perfume away from yourself, the aerosol drops won’t touch your skin or clothing but you still smell the fragrance. That fragrance is the vapor. However, you can’t see or smell nerve agent vapor because it is invisible and has no odor.

How will I know if I've been exposed?

If you breathe nerve agent, mild to moderate symptoms may range from dim vision, eye pain, headache and runny nose to chest tightness and difficulty breathing. Nerve agent vapor on your skin may result in sweating or muscle twitching and weakness. Breathing very high concentrations of nerve agent may cause you to black out or stop breathing. The severity of exposure depends on how much agent is in the vapor and how long you are around it. If you were outside before taking shelter or leaving the area and think you may have been exposed to nerve agent, there are several things you can do. If you are in a sealed shelter, take off at least your outer clothes, put them in a plastic bag and seal the bag. If water is available in the shelter, wash or take a cool to warm (not hot) shower, using lots of soap and water. Do not put soap in your eyes; just use lots of water. If you leave the area, tell responders or medical staff at your destination that you may have been exposed. They are trained to help you. Tell emergency responders about the sealed bag so that they can arrange for its safe removal after the emergency. If you have symptoms of nerve agent exposure, call for medical help immediately and follow those instructions. Don’t ventilate or leave your sealed shelter until you are told to do so. Remember, avoiding the nerve agent vapor always should be your primary goal.

Blister Agents

The Bluegrass Army Depot stores liquid blister agent, commonly known as mustard, which could hurt you in a chemical stockpile accident. Mustard can seriously injure your eyes, nose, throat, lungs and skin within seconds to minutes even though symptoms may not appear right away. It is important to immediately take shelter in a sealed room or leave the area to protect yourself if you are instructed to do so.

How can I be hurt?

It would take an accident such as an explosion or fire. In a fire, most of the agent would burn up, but some would stay in the smoke. Emergency officials call this smoky cloud and the invisible parts around it “the plume.”

As the plume drifts away from the scene of the accident, small drops of the blister agent may fall to the ground. These liquid drops are called the aerosol. The aerosol can hurt you if it falls on you or if you touch, eat or drink something that the aerosol has contaminated. This is very unlikely because the aerosol is heavy and quickly falls out of the plume close to the accident site.

Some tiny parts of the mustard, called vapor stay in the plume as it drifts from the accident. If you breathe the vapor, it can hurt you. Because the vapor travels farther from the accident than the aerosol, it is the greater danger over a large area. Do not depend on seeing or smelling mustard vapors when asked to take protective action. Invisible mustard vapors will expand beyond any visible smoke, and the faint garlic-like odor of mustard is not a trustworthy sign of hazard because lower levels of vapor that you can’t smell can hurt you. However, the vapor becomes less harmful the farther the plume travels. That’s because wind mixes clean air with the contaminated air as the plume travels. The clean air dilutes the agent until it is no longer harmful.

Think of it this way. Like mustard, perfume in a bottle is liquid. When you spray it, the liquid becomes an aerosol. If you spray the perfume on yourself, drops will cling to your skin, hair and clothes. If you are on the other side of the room or if you spray the perfume away from yourself, the aerosol drops won’t touch your skin or clothing but you still smell the fragrance. That fragrance is the vapor.

How will I know if I’ve been exposed?

Symptoms of mustard exposure may not show up for two to 24 or more hours. Symptoms may include redness and stinging of eyes or skin, followed by skin blisters; burning of the nose and sinuses; sore throat; and hoarseness or coughing. The severity of exposure depends on how much mustard is in the vapor and how long you are around it.

If you were outside before taking shelter or leaving the area and think you may have been exposed to mustard, there are several things you can do. If you are in a sealed shelter, take off at least your outer clothes, put them in a plastic bag and seal the bag. If water is available in the shelter, wash or take a cool to warm (not hot) shower, using lots of soap and water. Do not put soap in your eyes; just use lots of water. If you leave the area, tell emergency responders or medical staff at your destination that you may have been exposed. They are trained to help you. Tell emergency responders about the sealed bag so that they can arrange for its safe removal after the emergency.

If you have symptoms of mustard exposure, call for medical help immediately and follow those instructions. Don’t ventilate or leave your sealed shelter until you are told to do so. Remember, avoiding the mustard vapor always should be your primary goal.

GARRARD COUNTY

EVACUATION MAP

PAZ DESCRIPTION FOR GARRARD COUNTY

(Protective Action Zones)

The portion of Garrard County that falls within the Blue Grass Army Depot protective action zone (PAZ) includes the communities of Buckeye, McCreary, Paint Lick and Cartersville. The three (3) Garrard County PAZ boundaries are described as follows.

Garrard-Buckeye: Beginning at the intersection of KY39 and the Garrard/Madison county line, travel south on Ky39 to Ky1131 at McCreary; south east on Ky1131 to Ky1295.

Garrard-Paint Lick: South on KY1295 to Gillespie Pike to Lamb Road; south on Lamb Road to Railroad Grad Road: east on Railroad Grade Road to Doty Lane (less than .25 mile); south on Doty Lane to Ky52.

Garrard-Cartersville: East on Ky52 to Ky954; south on Ky954 to Copper Creek Road; south on Copper Creek Road to the Garrard/Rockcastle county line.

Understanding CSEPP terms

EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM (EAS) – A cooperative agreement between commercial radio and television stations to allow local or state officials to use their facilities to broadcast emergency information to the general public in the event of a life-threatening situation. Formerly known as the Emergency Broadcast System (EBS).

EMERGENCY CLASSIFICATION LEVELS (ECL) – If a release of toxic chemicals into the environment occurs, officials at BGAD will make prompt notification to the civilian authorities at the primary warning points. Five levels of event classification will be used to indicate the seriousness of the event and proper actions to take. Also referred to as incident classifications, the levels are:

ROUTINE EVENT – Events that involve either non-confirmed or confirmed agent release (leaker) inside approved chemical storage facilities. Also included are non-chemical related accident/incident to workers, traffic accidents, and small grass fires.

NON-SURETY EVENT – This level will be declared when events are likely or have occurred that may be perceived as a chemical surety emergency or that may be of general public interest but pose no chemical surety hazard.

LIMITED AREA EMERGENCY – Events are likely or have occurred which involve an actual or potential release with chemical effects expected to be confined to the chemical limited area. This level will be declared when the predicted chemical agent does not extend beyond the chemical limited area where the event occurred.

POST-ONLY EMERGENCY – Events are likely or have occurred which involve an actual or potential release with chemical effects beyond the chemical limited area but which are not expected to present a danger to the public beyond the depot boundary. This level will be declared when the predicted chemical agent extends beyond the chemical limited area but does not extend beyond the depot boundary.

COMMUNITY EMERGENCY – Events are likely or have occurred which can be expected to present a danger to the public beyond the perimeter of the depot. This level will be declared when the predicted chemical agent extends beyond the depot boundary.

EMERGENCY OEPRATIONS CENTER (EOC) – A facility designated as the location where responsible officials gather during an emergency to direct and coordinate emergency operations. Communications with other jurisdictions and with emergency forces in the field, formulation of protective actions decisions, and the development of information and instructions for public dissemination are also functions of the EOC.

EMERGENCY PLANNING ZONE (EPZ) – A geographical area delineated around a potential hazard that defines the anticipated areas of impact in order to facilitate planning for the protection of people during an emergency. The EPZ includes three (3) sections: the Immediate Response Zone (IRZ), the Protective Action Zone (PAZ), and the Precautionary Zone (PZ).

GB – An odorless, colorless and tasteless nerve agent stored as liquid that evaporates readily when exposed to air in a moderate temperature range. Its greatest hazard is from inhalation, but it degrades rapidly in the environment.

H, HD, HT – Three different forms of mustard agent. It is a blistering agent that causes large blisters to form on contaminated tissue both on skin and in the respiratory system. The letters H, HD and HT define different forms of the same agent relating to purity of the product, but all have the same effects. Mustard is relatively persistent in the environment. It freezes at 55-59 degrees Fahrenheit. Only H is stored at BGAD.

IMMEDIATE RESPONSE ZONE (IRZ) – The closet geographical areas around a hazard site that are most rapidly and severely affected by a hazard. In this area, immediate protective actions must be taken to safeguard the public. The IRZ is a 10-kilometer (6.2 miles) radius, but has been shaped to conform to identifiable boundaries (mostly roads) for ease of planning. The center point is the chemical storage area at the depot. The entire IRZ lies within Madison County.

SHELTER-IN-PLACE – A protective action that involves taking cover in a building that can be made relatively airtight. Any building suitable for winter habitation will provide protection with windows and doors closed and heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems shut down.

PROTECTIVE ACTION ZONE (PAZ) – A geographical area around a hazard site broader than the IRZ in which agent exposure is unlikely. In the case of BGAD, the PAZ begins at the outer boundary of the IRZ and extends out to approximately 25 kilometers (15 miles) from the center of the chemical storage area. Most of the PAZ is within the boundaries of Madison County but also includes the northern portion of Jackson and Rockcastle counties, the eastern edge of Garrard County, the southern portion of Clark County, the western edge of Powell County and a portion of Estill County.

VX – An odorless, colorless, tasteless nerve agent with a high boiling point such that it will not dissipate immediately if spilled. The major hazard from VX is absorption through the skin, although in some situations it will vaporize and can be inhaled. VX, having the consistency of cooking or motor oil, is relatively persistent in environment.