POCOMOKE CITY, MD - A Hazmat incident at the RICCA Chemical Company in Pocomoke required emergency personnel responses from both Worcester and Wicomico Counties Thursday.
The Worcester County Sheriff’s Office said Broad Street where the chemical company is located between Pocomoke Beltway and 8th Street was closed due to the incident on Thursday, January 25th, though police assured neighbors it was contained.
Due to precautionary measures, the Sheriff’s Office says elementary and middle school students were being kept inside the schools.
Police asked neighbors in the area to limit outside activity at this time.
The Pocomoke City Police Department was also on the scene, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
As of about 2 p.m. Thursday, the Pocomoke City Police Department said the area had been deemed safe and Broad Street had been reopened.
In a statement released Thursday afternoon, TidalHealth Peninsula Regional announced they were working with the Salisbury Fire Department on an active decontamination situation at the ambulance entrance outside the Salisbury hospital in connection with the incident.
Fire crews from Salisbury, Hebron and Delmar were on-site, as well as Wicomico Emergency Management and TidalHealth's Decontamination Team. People in hazmat suits could be seen outside of the hospital, but Salisbury's Fire Chief Rob Frampton said they were just taking extra steps to be careful.
"They're in the lowest level hazmat suit that provides us the lowest level of protection and that's more or less just a safety precaution for us," said Frampton.
According to TidalHealth, three civilians were being treated following a chemical explosion in Pocomoke. Officials say all of them reported respiratory irritation. None of the injuries are life-threatening, according to the hospital. Frampton tells WBOC 6-7 EMS responders were also being treated for exposure. The civilians and EMS responders were exposed to Sodium Iodine Monochloride, according to Frampton.
"This chemical in non-reactive with water so we're going to basically wash them, flush them for several minutes and make sure they're good and clean," said Frampton. "And then they'll go in and be treated for the rest of their injuries."
The fire and emergency services crews left the hospital around 3:00 p.m. on Thursday afternoon, around the same time the people exposed were brought inside to be treated for their injuries.
As of Thursday night, there is no word on the conditions of the victims.
Normal emergency department operations are continuing at the hospital, TidalHealth says.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more details become available.
