Are You Ready to Deal with the Consequences of a CBRN Incident?
The Experience of a non-Subject Matter Expert at the CBRN Consequence Management Course
In November 2024, I attended the Consequence Management course in Brno, organized by our COE in cooperation with the European Network of CBRN Training Centres (eNOTICE-2) project. Because of the diverse nature of CBRN consequence management activities, this course garnered the attention of a widespread group of participants from the military and civilian communities; representing 18 countries from throughout NATO and its partners. As someone who isn’t a CBRN subject matter expert nor a crisis manager, I was initially apprehensive about attending the course as it required a certain level of knowledge in these areas. However, as someone with a background in strategic communications, my objectives in taking this class were different than the other attendees. With this in mind, my experience turned out to be incredibly positive and enriching.
One of my first impressions was the participant diversity. Overall 34 students attended the course, each with a unique background. We had Ukrainian firefighters, a Moroccan scientist, a Swedish CBRN expert from the Prime Minister’s office, a Hungarian pathologist, a Jordanian Counter Terrorism Advisor, and many more doctors, CBRN officers, and first responders. This diversity significantly enriched our discussions and syndicate work. It brought different perspectives and experiences to the table, and seeing the same problem from different angles helped us understand the complexity of managing any CBRN incident and develop more insightful solutions.
The course was structured to encourage active participation. We were not just passive listeners; we engaged in hands-on tasks and real-world scenario analyses every afternoon, where we needed to apply what we had learned in the morning sessions. The balance between theory and practice made learning enjoyable and effective, allowing me to better understand complex concepts.
Overall, my experience at the Consequence Management course was very positive. Beyond the technical knowledge, the course also contributed to my personal growth and enhanced my ability to work effectively in a team. The value of the networking opportunities between CBRN and consequence management experts from the civilian and military communities cannot be understated, and will be of great benefit to all of us as we head back to our respective countries.
Autor: Pavla Skácelová
Photo: courtesy of 91st Information Warfare Group
