Priority 1 turns into Hazmat

On May 15, 2005 at 1148 hours units from Benedict and Hughesville were alerted to Animal Shelter Rd. for the Priority 1 Subject Not Breathing. Amb. 2-7 (enroute to their station from a previous call after transporting to Calvert Memorial Hosp.) arrived on scene to discover that the patient was priority 4. All units continued in. Upon arrival the crew off of Eng. 5-2 assissted two deputies by using the Scott buddy breathing system allowing the officers to go inside to investigate. The crew also ventilated the house. Units were made ready at 1216 hours. At 1301 hours Eng. Co. 5 was realerted to assist County Police. Once on scene a firefighter took the deputy back inside to take photographs and to do a report. When taken outside the Deputy became weak and dizzy; an ambulance was requested; Amb. 5-8 responded. At this time Chief 5-B arrived on scene to see if he could be of assisstance. A Medical Examiner from the state arrived on scene and requested that a Hazmat team be started that way due to high danger of infection. Special Unit 9 was alerted. Once the Hazmat team arrived the Medical Examiner briefed everyone on the plan of action. The Hazmat Tech's and Medical Examiner suited up while the crew from Eng. 5-2 and Amb. 5-8 set up a decon area. County Police assisted in crowd control. As the Tech's and Medical Examiner came out of the house they went through the decon area which consisted of being sprayed and scrubbed then stripped of their bio-suits. Units were made ready at 1541 hours. Our condolences go out to the family and a special thanks to Hughesville for the fill in crew while we were out for such a long period of time.