Personal protective equipment allows paramedics to triage and treat patients in areas contaminated by hazardous materials including chemical, biological or radiological.
Almost a quarter of the paramedic workforce has been trained to use Level C personal protective equipment and battery-powered respirators in a low level hazardous incident.
A further 100 paramedics have been trained to use Level A gastight suits and self-contained breathing apparatus in highly contaminated areas.
To support paramedics at these incidents, a specially designed protective equipment vehicle is available. This contains extra personal protective equipment, an inflatable change room shelter, and two multi-purpose welfare shelters.