Narrative:

We were waiting to be deiced in ZZZ. Ramp told us they would get around to us shortly. While parked at the gate and unconfigured for deice; the deice truck started deicing us without warning. By the time I noticed what was happening; they had almost finished the left side of the aircraft. I quickly turned off the bleeds and packs to avoid ingesting any glycol. I tried for over 5 mins to reach the deice truck on the frequency they had given us earlier (which is the same as the operations frequency) with no reply. They finally answered; 'yeah; we're deicing you now.' I asked why this was the first time I was speaking to them and said that this was not standard procedure. I also told them we could have had a much bigger issue if I had not noticed them and had not turned the bleeds and packs off. The driver said it was a miscom. They finished spraying the aircraft with type 1 fluid and pulled up along my window and directly sprayed type 1 at the window in an effort to get fluid into the cockpit. Some fluid did enter; then they pulled to the first officer's window and did the same thing. I called operations on the phone and spoke with the ramp trainer and informed him of what happened; but by the time he came outside they had already finished with the type 4 application. Neither of the people should be working around aircraft or for that matter at an airport. Their actions were nonstandard and reckless. In the future there should be someone dedicated to run the radio to provide better communication.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMB145 PLT DOCUMENTS POOR COM PROCS WITH A DEICE CREW PRIOR TO DEICING AND AFTER CONFRONTATION HAVING GLYCOL SPRAYED ON THE CAPT AND FO WINDOWS.

Narrative: WE WERE WAITING TO BE DEICED IN ZZZ. RAMP TOLD US THEY WOULD GET AROUND TO US SHORTLY. WHILE PARKED AT THE GATE AND UNCONFIGURED FOR DEICE; THE DEICE TRUCK STARTED DEICING US WITHOUT WARNING. BY THE TIME I NOTICED WHAT WAS HAPPENING; THEY HAD ALMOST FINISHED THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT. I QUICKLY TURNED OFF THE BLEEDS AND PACKS TO AVOID INGESTING ANY GLYCOL. I TRIED FOR OVER 5 MINS TO REACH THE DEICE TRUCK ON THE FREQ THEY HAD GIVEN US EARLIER (WHICH IS THE SAME AS THE OPS FREQ) WITH NO REPLY. THEY FINALLY ANSWERED; 'YEAH; WE'RE DEICING YOU NOW.' I ASKED WHY THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I WAS SPEAKING TO THEM AND SAID THAT THIS WAS NOT STANDARD PROC. I ALSO TOLD THEM WE COULD HAVE HAD A MUCH BIGGER ISSUE IF I HAD NOT NOTICED THEM AND HAD NOT TURNED THE BLEEDS AND PACKS OFF. THE DRIVER SAID IT WAS A MISCOM. THEY FINISHED SPRAYING THE ACFT WITH TYPE 1 FLUID AND PULLED UP ALONG MY WINDOW AND DIRECTLY SPRAYED TYPE 1 AT THE WINDOW IN AN EFFORT TO GET FLUID INTO THE COCKPIT. SOME FLUID DID ENTER; THEN THEY PULLED TO THE FO'S WINDOW AND DID THE SAME THING. I CALLED OPS ON THE PHONE AND SPOKE WITH THE RAMP TRAINER AND INFORMED HIM OF WHAT HAPPENED; BUT BY THE TIME HE CAME OUTSIDE THEY HAD ALREADY FINISHED WITH THE TYPE 4 APPLICATION. NEITHER OF THE PEOPLE SHOULD BE WORKING AROUND ACFT OR FOR THAT MATTER AT AN ARPT. THEIR ACTIONS WERE NONSTANDARD AND RECKLESS. IN THE FUTURE THERE SHOULD BE SOMEONE DEDICATED TO RUN THE RADIO TO PROVIDE BETTER COM.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.