CAT CAT Emergency Procedures and Response 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the first action an aquatic technician should take upon discovering a pool patron in distress in the water?
- Activate the Emergency Action Plan (EAP) and alert lifeguard staff immediately (Correct answer)
- Jump in and attempt a rescue
- Turn off the circulation pumps
- Call the pool manager
Correct answer: Activate the Emergency Action Plan (EAP) and alert lifeguard staff immediately
The first step is to activate the facility's Emergency Action Plan and alert trained lifeguard staff, as technicians are not typically the designated rescuers.
Question 2: Which chemical combination is extremely dangerous and must never be allowed at an aquatic facility?
- Mixing chlorine and acid (muriatic acid) together (Correct answer)
- Adding sodium bicarbonate after chlorine
- Using liquid chlorine with salt chlorination
- Combining calcium hypochlorite with cyanuric acid in water
Correct answer: Mixing chlorine and acid (muriatic acid) together
Mixing chlorine (oxidizer) directly with muriatic acid releases toxic chlorine gas, which is immediately dangerous to life and health.
Question 3: When a pool chemical spill occurs, what PPE should an aquatic technician don before attempting cleanup?
- Chemical-resistant gloves, goggles, and appropriate respiratory protection per the SDS (Correct answer)
- Only latex gloves
- A standard dust mask and sunglasses
- No PPE is needed for small spills
Correct answer: Chemical-resistant gloves, goggles, and appropriate respiratory protection per the SDS
The SDS for each pool chemical specifies the required PPE; at minimum, chemical-resistant gloves, splash goggles, and respiratory protection are needed for spill response.
Question 4: What is breakpoint chlorination, and when is it used as an emergency procedure?
- Super-chlorinating to 10× the combined chlorine level to destroy chloramines causing water quality issues (Correct answer)
- Adding chlorine after a rain event to restore pH
- Shock dosing to raise pH above 8.2
- Dosing algaecide to kill a green pool overnight
Correct answer: Super-chlorinating to 10× the combined chlorine level to destroy chloramines causing water quality issues
Breakpoint chlorination involves adding enough chlorine (typically 10× the combined chlorine level) to oxidize all chloramines and restore free chlorine effectiveness.
Question 5: How should an aquatic technician respond to a fecal accident (formed stool) in a public pool?
- Close the pool, remove the feces, super-chlorinate to 2 ppm free chlorine, and reopen after 30 minutes
- Close the pool, remove the feces, raise free chlorine to 20 ppm at pH 7.5, hold for 8 hours (Correct answer)
- Add extra chlorine without closing the pool
- Vacuum the pool floor without changing the chemistry
Correct answer: Close the pool, remove the feces, raise free chlorine to 20 ppm at pH 7.5, hold for 8 hours
The CDC/MAHC protocol for a formed-stool fecal accident requires closing the pool, removing the stool, raising free chlorine to 20 ppm at pH 7.5, and maintaining that level for 8 hours to inactivate Giardia.
Question 6: In the event of a suspected drowning victim being removed from the pool, what is the immediate priority of the aquatic technician?
- Support EMS response by keeping bystanders clear and providing emergency equipment access (Correct answer)
- Drain the pool immediately
- Test the water chemistry to document pre-incident conditions
- Turn off all pool lights for safety
Correct answer: Support EMS response by keeping bystanders clear and providing emergency equipment access
The technician's role is to support the emergency response by keeping bystanders clear, providing access for EMS, and ensuring emergency equipment such as AED and oxygen are available.
CAT CAT Emergency Procedures and Response 1
What is the first action an aquatic technician should take upon discovering a pool patron in distress in the water?