A basic training programme aimed at enhancing the preparedness of Airport Emergency Handlers (AEHs) to respond to CBRN emergencies began at the Trivandrum International Airport in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala today. The five-day training programme is being conducted by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
CBRN emergencies pertain to threats emanating from the handling of Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear material.
The training programme is being conducted in collaboration with the Airport Authority of India (AAI), Institute of Nuclear Medicine & Allied Sciences (INMAS) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).
Handling CBRN emergencies need specialised skills and efforts. In fact, even a small CBRN related event can cause panic among people at the airports. This training programme will improve the CBRN safety at our airports by enabling the AEHs to handle any CBRN emergency.
The programme consists of lectures as well as field training, including live demonstrations of detection and decontamination including use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Besides equipping the AEHs to handle CBRN emergencies, the training programme will also enable them to provide medical first aid and initial psycho-social support.
Experts from stakeholder departments such as Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), INMAS, NDMA, NDRF, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) will train the participants.
A total of 50 participants representing various agencies responsible for operation and maintenance of the airport will be trained on various aspects of CBRN emergencies. Another 150 working level staff will be sensitized on the subject in a half day module. A mock exercise will also be carried out during the training programme.
This is the eleventh in a series of such programmes being conducted at airports across the country to enable AEHs to respond suitably till the arrival of specialised response teams. Ten batches have already been trained – one each in Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, Varanasi, Patna, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Raipur and Bengaluru.
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