The deliberate release of chemical warfare agents (CWAs) or toxic materials in civilian settings represents a serious threat - not only to the individuals within those communities, but to the personnel charged with the initial response, specialist incident management and medical care.
The discovery of the use of the 'novichok' nerve agent in Salisbury UK in March 2018, for example, was a stark reminder of how vulnerable the wider civilian population can be to the effects of targeted and pernicious CBRNe activities.