One of the most common challenges that CBRNe and HazMat instructors face in delivering hands-on chemical hazard training is the extensive time that it can take to plan, set up and oversee their scenarios.
Even once an exercise is up and running, the practical demands of keeping tabs on every detail and delivering vital information to students via verbal or written cues, can leave precious little time for observing trainees’ actions and responses.
In the spring of 2021, the HazMat Guys invited Argon Electronics’ North American Business Development Manager Bryan Sommers to join them in a podcast discussion where they talked about ongoing challenges in the provision of HazMat training and what new simulation technologies are bringing to the table.
Training is an essential aspect of preparing radiation professionals for the realities of live radiological incidents, whether they are operating in the field of first response, law enforcement, customs and border control or the military.
While much of the essential theoretical and regulatory information can be conveyed in the classroom setting, there is also the vital need to exercise, hone and verify that knowledge through hands-on training.
With the increasing use of radioisotopes within educational institutions, industrial facilities and healthcare environments, there also comes the need to maintain a rigorous and robust approach to radiological safety.
Protecting people and the environment from the effects of radioactive materials relies on two core practices - implementing appropriate radiological safety measures to prevent exposure to radiation and ensuring that there are robust security systems in place to prevent radioactive materials being misappropriated for malicious use.
Radioactive sources provide a vast array of benefits within the field of nuclear medicine, from their use in diagnostic scanning procedures to the sterilisation of equipment and the treatment of cancers.
The earliest applications of nuclear medicine date back to the mid-twentieth century when physicians with an interest in the endocrine system first used iodine-131 in the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid disease.
After a year of digital interaction, online events and virtual networking, many within the CBRNe industry will no doubt be keenly awaiting the return to face-to-face conferences and exhibitions.
Among the live events that were previously postponed due to COVID-19 is CBRNe Summit USA which is currently scheduled to take place in Las Vegas, Nevada, October 12th to 14th 2021.
Attendees at this highly-anticipated inaugural conference, exhibition and live demonstration will have the opportunity to hear insights from military and civilian officials representing the spectrum of CBRNe preparedness, training and response.
It is twenty-six years since the Japanese terrorist group Aum Shinrikyo released the deadly nerve agent sarin in a series of five coordinated attacks on Tokyo's subway system.
Twelve people lost their lives in the aftermath of the incident on March 20th 1995. More than 5,000 civilians required medical attention, with some fifteen-hundred found to have been moderately to severely poisoned by the effects of the toxin.
Subsequent analysis of the harrowing events of that day would reveal a number of key lessons which continue to inform and guide authorities, responders and medical teams in their preparedness and response to chemical incidents.
The New York City Fire Department‘s dedicated HazMat unit, HazMat Company 1, is responsible for attending a vast array of major emergencies, hazardous materials incidents and terrorism-related disasters citywide.
Supporting the team in their efforts is a select group of FDNY EMS units known as Hazardous Material Tactical Units, whose members are trained to provide emergency medical care and decontamination within hazardous environments.
Since it first came into effect in April 1997, the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) has set out to eliminate the use of chemical warfare agents by prohibiting their development, production, acquisition and stockpiling.
According to latest figures published by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), approximately 98% of the world's declared chemical weapons stockpiles are currently believed to have been destroyed.
Technology and equipment is making a powerful contribution to the realism and learning outcomes of radiological training programs for emergency responders, firefighters and HazMat personnel.
With the help of innovative new simulator-based training tools, instructors are able provide their trainees with the crucial hands-on experience that they need to safely handle the challenges of live radiation incidents.