Abstract
Chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE) incidents are a real threat to human life and property in the modern world. CBRNE incidents involve a significantly higher risk as compared to hazardous material (Hazmat) events primarily due to the involvement of terrorist elements. The rapidly increasing risk of terrorism along with a significant increase in nuclear threats considerably elevates the importance of CBRNE preparedness. CBRNE defense involves the readiness, prevention, response, and avoidance of events that may adversely affect human life, health, property, and infrastructure. The United States has training programs and professionals in all divisions of the armed forces under the national strategy for CBRNE standards. The plan not only calls for the training and development of professionals in the military but also in civilian law enforcement agencies. The training of CBRNE specialists or experts involves education, skills, exercises, and drills relevant to prevention, preparation, avoidance, and response to CBRNE incidents. Certain limitations are also present that creates hurdle for the implementation of effective CBRNE policies. However, professionals believe that future of these training and development would play a proactive role in the longer-run.
Introduction
Nuclear, chemical, biological, and radiological threats are not only real but one of the major threats to national security and public safety in the modern world. The rapidly growing influence of terrorist groups along with the dissemination of technology and illegal distribution of nuclear and biological weapons considerably increases the hazards. On the other hand, the developments in nuclear, biological, and radiological technologies in recent years also increase the urgency of preparedness of personnel. The hazards or risks of biological, nuclear, radiological, chemical, and explosive can adversely affect the safety and security of the public. Preparedness is one of the most important strategies in the context of biological, chemical, nuclear, and radiological threats or hazards. Although the government has several emergency response teams and groups for hazardous materials or substances, preparedness is a better strategy than response. Preparation allows the relevant personnel and organizations to respond to threats in a swift and efficient manner for curtailing the hazards and safeguarding the public. This paper analyzes and explains various aspects of chemical, biological, nuclear, radiological, and explosive training and drills or exercises.
CBRNE
Chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE or CBRN) is a defense mechanism in numerous countries, including the United States regarding prevention and preparedness. CBRNE preparedness involves the prevention and precautions regarding chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive terrorism and warfare that may lead to hazards for the public. The CBRNE training and prevention strategy comprises the avoidance, preparedness, prevention, protection, and mitigation of CBRNE hazards. However, the prevention, preparedness, avoidance, and mitigation require specialized awareness, training, and exercise for swift and efficient action. Lack of training might result in negative consequences and this might create havoc for different nations. Different experts of the related field focus on effective strategies with respect to such scenarios so that they can secure them in an effective manner.
CBRNE incidents or hazards usually involve hazardous materials along with intentional terrorism or warfare, unlike hazardous materials (Hazmat) incidents. The two unique aspects that distinguish CBRNE from Hazmat include the preservation of evidence and apprehension of probable perpetrators or terrorists. CBRNE developed or evolved from atomic, biological, and chemical (ABC) preparedness or incidents utilized in the 1950s to represent ABC threats. ABC transformed into nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) incidents to highlight or emphasize the inherent risk of nuclear threats. However, the rapidly increasing incidents of terrorism and radiological threats led to the inclusion of radiological and explosive components. Different decision makers consider the fact that inclusion of all such scenarios is important to secure the society from the negative aspects of these materials.
National strategy and training for CBRNE
The national strategy for CBRNE pursues the primary goal of national preparedness through the utilization of reliable, effective, and efficient countermeasures relevant to CBRNE threats. The Departments of Commerce and Homeland Security developed the National CBRNE strategy and standards in collaboration with the Office of Science and Technology Policy in 2011. The primary objective of the approach is to enhance national preparedness relevant to CBRNE and preservation of life, property, health, and commerce through training. The policy also highlights the goals of the government regarding the training and coordination of personnel along with the standards for equipment and safety measures. The plan represents the consented and agreed standards in federal, state, local, and regional departments or groups in the context of CBRNE detection, prevention, and response. The national strategy for CBRNE Standards emphasizes several primary objectives regarding the training of personnel and deployment of equipment. The voluntary training and certification programs are among the primary goals of the CBRNE strategy to promote training and adoption of CBRNE policies or measures. Training also comprises the development and improvement of an adequate infrastructure in all law enforcement and armed forces divisions for CBRNE prevention and response.
Specialists and Trained Professionals
The trained professionals and CBRNE specializes include people with adequate and ample training, expertise, and knowledge regarding incident prevention, preservation, and response. The United States has trained professionals and specialists in almost all divisions of the armed forces, including the Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy. Almost all CBRNE experts and professionals receive training from the respective CBRN schools in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. The training and drills for CBRNE involve education, awareness, exercises, and drills relevant to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive threats or hazards. The training and exercises allow specialists to respond to the incidents in an efficient manner to ensure public safety and security. The training includes education and skills relevant to immediate response actions regarding the safety of life and preservation of property. The training also comprises the collection of evidence, identification of hazards, and restoration or rehabilitation of the incident site. The drills and exercises incorporate physical exercises and drills that enhance response times and efficiency of the specialists or trained professionals in their respective specialty.
Different professionals learn numerous techniques to tackle difficulties associated with CBNRE scenarios. Through effective exercises, individuals do not only equip themselves with technical skills but they also learn different strategies through which they end up becoming agile and adaptive leaders. Education and training involves perspectives as distributed learning (DL), experimental based learning, educational training with respect to operational needs, multi-national focused learning, contemporary issues (WMD, HAZMAT, terrorism), etc.
The United States department of homeland security offers technical emergency response training for different CBRNE incidents known as (TERT). The participants in this program learn about various aspects of weapons of mass destruction. They learn technical side and different preparatory methods associated with the technical side of WMD. Participants of this program learn different perspectives of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, or Explosive. Individuals learn the potential targets and biological implications of different weapons. They learn to tackle different threats associated with these weapons. Chemical weapons can result in hazardous situations and professional training play an important role to minimize these threats. Participants learn to identify different radiological sources and hazards associated with these sources. Professionals learn to operate various dissemination devices associated with various Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear scenarios. Trained professionals learn the art of tackling various unwanted scenarios through which they can minimize the impact of these deadly weapons.
Basic training, specialized training and different advance training modules help professionals to acquire appropriate knowledge related to CBRNE. Individuals after basic soldiering skills learn certain skills associated directly with CBRNE. This would include perspectives like decontamination, defense, monitoring and detection with the help of different equipments. Individuals learn using various protective equipments that would allow them to tackle the reactions caused by various toxic agents. Individuals before learning specialized skills should also focus on different communicational skills, organizational skills and the ability to work under stress-oriented situations.
Limitations of CBNRE training
There are certain limitations also associated with the perspective of CBRNE trainings. Number of institutes around the world should increase that would make sure that WMD and other important explosives are in safe hands. Training and effective management would ensure that and this would foster the overall peace process in the world. Similarly, imparting knowledge that is more practical would benefit individuals in the longer-run. Inappropriate selection of course participants is also a considerable factor, as this would increase the overall training duration. Several individuals and army personal consider this scenario as a limited career opportunity. Lack of motivation for individuals to join this field creates a problem for decision makers to recruit effective personal for training and development. These limitations hurt the overall efforts of the decision makers towards the exercise and drills conducted by them in related to CBNRE.
Future of CBNRE training
The future of CBNRE would become quality oriented with the advent of time mainly because of the increase in CBNRE scenarios. International exchange of professionals would play an effective role in future. Different defense training institutes can share their personal so that they can enhance the overall security of their countries. Information exchange and effective sharing of safety procedures would also benefit different societies. In future people decision makers should also organize basic training at an early stage so that youngsters can understand it with respect to basic disaster management scenario. However, implementation would always remain the key to success to attain beneficial results with respect to CBNRE training.
References
Bullock, J., Haddow, G., & Coppola, D. P. (2012). Homeland Security: The Essentials. Waltham: Butterworth-Heinemann.
FEMA. (2016). Technical Emergency Response Training for CBRNE Incidents. Retrieved June 15, 2016, from FEMA: https://cdp.dhs.gov/training/program/b
Johnson, T. A. (2016). National Security Issues in Science, Law, and Technology. Boca Raton: CRC Press.
Kollek, D., & Malley, J. (2013). Disaster Preparedness for Health Care Facilities. New York : Pmph USA.
