Argon CBRNe / HazMat Training News

Argon Electronics has delivered a range of radiological training simulators to Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service.

The simulators will enable the service to improve the quality of their radiological exercises, using the training simulators for the RDS200 radiation meter and EPD-Mk2 to practice and enhance radiological survey techniques and exercises involving ionizing sources, such as road traffic accidents, Non Destructive Testing (NDT), source recovery and fires at facilities where radioactive sources may present an additional risk to those attending the incident.

When Smiths Detection had a need to quickly demonstrate to an important customer the ability of their LCD series detector family to function in the Arabic language, the challenge of the understandably complex engineering cycles involved in the development of operational equipment arose.

The United States Marine Corp (USMC) has awarded a contract for the delivery of PlumeSIM, Argon’s instrumented CBRN training system. Due for delivery early 2018, the system will include a number of training simulators and will significantly enhance CBRN exercises and student learning for the Marine Corp.

PlumeSIM enables users to implement both Tabletop and Live Field Exercises based upon both GIS mapping and “home-made maps” with ease, and incorporates a powerful after action review (AAR) capability that enables both command decisions and survey team activity to be practiced, verified and refined.

It is of increasing interest to both civilian and military organisation to incorporate support for CBRN Hazards into their training. In some instances this can be achieved by a standalone system such as Argon’s PlumeSIM. In other instances the desire it to have this capability incorporated into their own, existing systems, especially if the user is a military organisation with a need to simulate a scenario that includes a combination of hazards, including but not limited to CBRN.

Argon recognised this need and also acknowledged that it was not practical for these organisations to develop such a system; along with the broad and expanding range of physical simulators for all of the major CBRN detectors. The solution developed by Argon is the PlumeSIM API (Application Program Interface). This is a software component that enables PlumeSIM to be interfaced to third party Live and Virtual simulation systems.

Argon Electronics, a world leader in the development and manufacture of CBRNe and hazardous material detector training simulators and systems, today announced that it has been accredited to the sustainable, environmentally responsible ISO 14001:2015 standard as well as the new ISO 9001:2015 quality management standard.

ISO (International Standards Organization) defines parameters for compliance with the highest standards of quality, environmental responsibility, and other characteristics of world-class organisations’ operations across their materials, products, processes, and services.

The Austrian CBRN Defence Command based in Korneuburg have enhanced their CBRN training capability as a result of an investment in PlumeSIM, Argon’s live instrumented field and virtual tabletop CBRN / HazMat training system.

Supported by a number of RDS200 radiological simulators and LCD3.3 chemical warfare simulators, this new capability will enable the Command to implement a wide variety of tabletop and live field chemical warfare, HazMat and radiological CBRN exercises without the need to use any form of chemical warfare agent of simulant, or radiological sources. 

Argon Electronics, the global leader in Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) and HazMat training systems, celebrates 30 years in business this month and, in commemoration, has released an eBook that explores the three key types of Chemical Warfare Agent (CWA) training: Live Agent Training, Simulant Agent Training and Simulation Training.

“It seems only a relatively short time ago that discussions with Essex County Fire and Rescue Service relating to their desire to enhance radiological hazard training after the Chernobyl reactor accident resulted in Argon entering the field of CBRN simulation” reflected Steven Pike, Managing Director and Founder of Argon. “Fast forward some 28 years, and our training systems, underpinned by numerous patents and commercial relationships with many of the world’s leading detector manufacturers, are in use throughout the world to enhance CBRN training.”

To celebrate this achievement, Argon has launched a new website and has also released an eBook, which will help those organisations reviewing their CBRN and HazMat training consider some of the options available. “This is our first eBook, and the contribution from David Butler BEM, a former military officer at the UK Defence CBRN Centre Winterbourne Gunner has ensured interesting reading. At a time when hardly a month passes without mention of a CBRN related incident in the news, the need for organisations to ensure they are well prepared has never been greater.” affirmed Pike.

The eBook considers a number of factors relating to effective Chemical Warfare Agent training - including health and safety, regulatory burdens, the environment and costs.

The new eBook is available to download, free of charge, from the Argon website.

For the first time at Hazardex 2017 in Runcorn Argon will be demonstrating PlumeSIM-SMART, a new innovative solution to managing and mitigating the consequences of  offsite releases. PlumeSIM-SMART enables chemical and radiological releases to be simulated permitting monitoring teams, management and emergency responders to train, test and verify their offsite emergency response plans to ensure compliance with COMAH regulations and SEVESO directives. 

The UK MoD has awarded a three year support contract to Argon Electronics with an option for a further two years extension. The competitively bid contract is for the provision of support for CBRN training systems previously delivered by Argon. The contract enables the UK MoD to receive technical support assistance, the provision of maintenance and training services and spares purchase. UK MoD invested a considerable sum of money with Argon to deliver high quality CBRN training systems, including PlumeSIM, and this support contract will help ensure UK MoD continue to maximise the benefits of that investment.

The first PlumeSIM order to be delivered to the Middle East region has been received by Argon, and represents a significant stage in the company’s growth in this important part of the world.

In addition to PlumeSIM, the contract includes a number of training simulators. This additional contract follows an earlier delivery of simulators to the same customer, the use of which supported an important national CBRN exercise proving extremely successful.