MILWAUKEE — A few miles west of the Republican National Convention perimeter a portable decontamination tent is set up near Froedtert Hospital's emergency department.
"We set it up just for this event because we're expecting a lot more people," Emergency Department nurse manager Andrew Lynn said.
Froedtert Hospital, along with several partners across the Milwaukee area, spent more than a year planning for the RNC. The decontamination tent is just one sign of how the team is ready for anything.
VIDEO: Froedtert employees explain why there is a tent outside Froedtert Hospital
"We go over everything from emergency preparedness to mass casualty response," Lynn stated.
"Since we're the only Level 1 trauma center, we take that seriously to be able to continue with our normal operations," said Lisa Hass-Peters, emergency preparedness coordinator at Froedtert Hospital.
Hass-Peters explained that they needed to plan for the potential for large crowds and exposure to pepper spray or other chemicals. Wauwatosa Fire could also help with the process by bringing more water to the site.
The decontamination process includes using soap and water for a minimum of five minutes depending on the chemical exposure.
"It's extremely important. If our emergency department or whatever is contaminated that area is going to be off-line until we can have it cleaned up so we want to keep the issues outside," Hass-Peters stated.
"We're prepared, but we haven't had to use it yet and that's the best-case scenario," Lynn added.
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