What should personnel immediately do upon exposure to a gas attack?

Upon exposure to a gas attack, personnel should react within 15 seconds or less to ensure their safety and mitigate the effects of the exposure. This rapid response is crucial because certain chemical agents can have immediate and detrimental effects on health. Quick reactions can significantly reduce the chances of severe injury or fatality.

The emphasis on responding swiftly highlights the urgent nature of chemical threats, where even seconds can make a crucial difference in outcomes. Personnel should be trained to recognize the signs of a gas attack and understand the protocol to follow, which often includes taking protective measures immediately.

Other options, such as removing all gear or evacuating the area, may be necessary steps but take more time and can put individuals at further risk if they don’t first react to the situation promptly. Reporting the incident is also critical for overall situational awareness and troop safety, but immediate personal action to protect oneself is the priority. Thus, the focus on the time-sensitive nature of the correct answer underscores its importance in emergency response tactics during a gas attack.