Civilian and Military Consequence Managers Trained Together in CBRN Consequence Management

From 21 through 25 November 2022, the JCBRN Defence COE conducted a CBRN Consequence Management Course, receiving participants from both the military and civilian communities from 20 European nations. Conducted through a joint initiative under the civil-military cooperation framework between Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO) and JCBRN Defence COE, this course was designed to prepare and enable NATO, its Partner Nations and their civilian equivalents to assist each other in preparing for and responding to consequences caused by a CBRN incident.

Over five days, the 35 course attendees learned about current and emerging CBRN threats and a consequence manager’s roles and responsibilities in responding to CBRN incidents and accidents. Time was set aside for syndicate work, allowing each group to use the knowledge gained in the course to determine how to best respond to various CBRN scenarios. The course culminated with a lesson on media relations, providing each participant with an understanding of how to work with the public and the media during a crisis.

As designed, the CBRN Consequence Management course provides a holistic picture of international consequence management processes, focusing on those within NATO. As expressed by one of the course instructors, Mrs. Grace Xerri, “efficient consequence management can only be achieved by establishing effective communication and operational collaboration between the civil and military sectors. This is an essential and defining component in the preparation and management of a CBRN emergency response.”

The participants were confident that what they learned during the course would be helpful in their operational and daily- routine work. With no exceptions, the participants expressed confidence that the knowledge gained through this course would help them in their professional careers, providing a fitting conclusion to the COE’s training events for 2022.

For additional information on courses organized by the JCBRN Defence COE, please visit our centre’s training portal (https://www.jcbrncoe.org/index.php/courses-link-page).

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Author: MAJ František PAVLÁSEK (CZE-A)

Photos: WO Roman SCHINDLER (CZE-A)