CBRN response and the future

CBRNE3 medicine in the austere environment: the challenges

Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive/Environmental/Endemic Disease (CBRNE3) incidents encompass a wide spectrum of events from natural events/disasters to industrial accidents through to deliberate military release and nuclear war. The UK military operates globally and in environments that are often austere. The very nature of these environments means that CBRNE3 incidents are a very real risk, and a CBRNE3 incident in a well-developed society could ultimately create an austere environment. Responding to such an event in an austere environment poses challenges.The very nature of the environment may be problematic. It may be very remote with limited or no access by road and/or air. It may have limited resources such as water and infrastructure required to manage the event. Extremes of temperature and weather may pose a risk to casualties and responders alike. Specialist teams and equipment may be required, but the host or partner nations may not have suitable capability and these resources may take time to mobilise from the home base. The volume of equipment and material needed in the response may overwhelm logistical chains which may not be robust enough to withstand the initial incident.Proper planning and preparedness is crucial to operating in and managing a CBRNE3 incident in an austere environment. Recognition of the potential threat by intelligence gathering and recognition by personnel on the ground are essential. This requires an appropriate awareness at all levels of command and appropriate prior training, including interoperability training with partner forces. Ultimately, robust planning and training is key to managing CBRNE3 incidents in an austere environment.

Bioterrorismo: capacitar para responder

RESUMO A utilização de agentes biológicos com a finalidade de aterrorizar inimigos surgiu há muitos séculos. Essa ação foi popularizada como bioterrorismo. Ataques bioterroristas são perigosos devido ao envolvimento de diversos fatores, como a forma silenciosa na qual pode ocorrer, o tipo e a forma de transmissão do agente biológico utilizado, dependendo do objetivo do ataque. Para prevenção da contaminação por esses agentes, os profissionais que irão atuar no seu combate devem possuir conhecimentos a respeito dos mecanismos de ação e de disseminação desses patógenos, bem como a adequada forma de sua neutralização e eliminação; além de saber escolher os equipamentos de proteção, tanto de uso individual quanto coletivo, adequados. Diante disso, tais equipes de ação necessitam ser bem capacitadas e treinadas. O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar, na literatura, os modos de treinamentos existentes no mundo para os profissionais de primeira resposta aos ataques envolvendo agentes Químico, Biológico, Radiológico ou Nuclear (QBRN). A partir de uma revisão integrativa, encontraram-se três artigos, em um período de 20 anos. Conclui-se que são muito escassos os estudos nessa área e que mais pesquisas e treinamentos para este tipo de evento devem ser realizados no mundo inteiro.

Effective responder communication improves efficiency and psychological outcomes in a mass decontamination field experiment: implications for public behaviour in the event of a chemical incident

The risk of incidents involving mass decontamination in response to a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear release has increased in recent years, due to technological advances, and the willingness of terrorists to use unconventional weapons. Planning for such incidents has focused on the technical issues involved, rather than on psychosocial concerns. This paper presents a novel experimental study, examining the effect of three different responder communication strategies on public experiences and behaviour during a mass decontamination field experiment. Specifically, the research examined the impact of social identity processes on the relationship between effective responder communication, and relevant outcome variables (e.g. public compliance, public anxiety, and co-operative public behaviour). All participants (n = 111) were asked to visualise that they had been involved in an incident involving mass decontamination, before undergoing the decontamination process, and receiving one of three different communication strategies: 1) ‘Theory-based communication’: Health-focused explanations about decontamination, and sufficient practical information; 2) ‘Standard practice communication’: No health-focused explanations about decontamination, sufficient practical information; 3) ‘Brief communication’: No health-focused explanations about decontamination, insufficient practical information. Four types of data were collected: timings of the decontamination process; observational data; and quantitative and qualitative self-report data. The communication strategy which resulted in the most efficient progression of participants through the decontamination process, as well as the fewest observations of non-compliance and confusion, was that which included both health-focused explanations about decontamination and sufficient practical information. Further, this strategy resulted in increased perceptions of responder legitimacy and increased identification with responders, which in turn resulted in higher levels of expected compliance during a real incident, and increased willingness to help other members of the public. This study shows that an understanding of the social identity approach facilitates the development of effective responder communication strategies for incidents involving mass decontamination.