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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)


What may an instructor change when giving the Disaster Site Worker Course #7600? What must be accomplished?

An instructor may change:
  • the order of the various lessons in the #7600 course
  • the amounts of time spent on each lesson (with more on some lessons and less on others, but totaling 16 hours)
  • visuals, examples, and case studies to accommodate the backgrounds of the particular class.
An instructor must:
  • accomplish all of the lesson objectives listed with each lesson in the #7600 manual
  • carry out the "Respiratory Protection Performance Test" for each student individually in the #7600 course

Not all students in the #7600 class will have obtained medical clearance to wear an air-purifying respirator. How can the "Respiratory Protection Performance Test" be accomplished for these students?

For any trainee who does not have documented medical clearance to wear an air-purifying respirator, the performance test can be performed with the removal of the cartridges/filter elements from the respirator facepiece after step 4 on the checklist. Step 9, the negative pressure user seal check, will be performed by placing the palms of the hands over the inhalation valve inlets and inhaling slightly for a count of 10.


What is the Personal Theme Worksheet in the #7600 class and how is it to be used?

A major theme of the Disaster Site Worker Course #7600 is to "enable Disaster Site Workers to recognize that they have a responsibility to make decisions and choices that will positively affect their personal health/safety and that of others at the site."

A "Personal Theme Worksheet" is provided to students in the #7600 course for them to record, at the end of each lesson, one or more actions related to the lesson content that they personally can take to protect themselves and others. Answers will be discussed at the end of the course.

Some possible entries on a student's worksheet might be:
For the Incident Command Lesson:
-- "I need to check in and out of a disaster site so the Command can keep track of who is on site when making safety decisions."
-- "It is my responsibility to report hazards up the chain of command so they can be dealt with and not endanger myself or my co-workers."
For the Respiratory Protection Lesson:
-- "Wearing the respirator provided will protect my own health."
For the Decontamination Lesson:
-- "It is my responsibility to change out of my work clothes or protective equipment before going home to my family."