Which of the following occupies the warm zone?

The warm zone is a crucial area in HAZMAT operations, positioned between the hot zone, where contamination is present, and the cold zone, which is uncontaminated and safe for emergency personnel and the public. The warm zone serves multiple purposes, one of which is the decontamination of personnel and equipment that have been exposed to hazardous materials.

The decontamination corridor is deliberately set up in the warm zone to facilitate the safe and systematic removal of contaminants. This area is where individuals who have exited the hot zone go through decontamination procedures before entering the cold zone. Establishing a decontamination corridor in this zone ensures that any hazardous substances are properly managed, minimizing the risk of spreading contaminants to unaffected areas.

Other options, while important in their own right during an incident, do not occupy the warm zone. The command post, usually located in the cold zone, coordinates the overall response, while the staging area is where equipment and personnel are organized for deployment, also situated in the cold zone. The evacuation area is designated for safely relocating people from danger and is typically outside the hot and warm zones. Each of these components plays a vital role in the emergency response system but occupies different spatial zones depending on the level of hazard present.