The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is conducting a basic training programme at the Deendayal Port Trust in Kandla, Gujarat. The five-day training programme, aimed at increasing the awareness and enhancing the preparedness of Seaport Emergency Handlers (SEHs) to respond to CBRN emergencies at the seaports, started on June 10, 2019.
This is the fourth in a series of such programmes that will be conducted at various seaports across the country to enable SEHs to respond suitably till the arrival of specialised response teams. Earlier this year, three batches of SEHs were trained at Mangalore, Kochi and Navi Mumbai.
CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear) threats emanate at seaports due to arrival, storage and transportation of a large amount of chemical, petrochemical and other CBRN agents.
The training programme is being conducted in collaboration with the Indian Ports Association (IPA), Institute of Nuclear Medicine & Allied Sciences (INMAS) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). This training programme will improve the CBRN safety at our seaports by enabling the SEHs 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), and mock exercises. Besides equipping the SEHs 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 Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will train the participants.
Around 50 participants representing various agencies responsible for operation and maintenance of the seaport are being trained on various aspects of CBRN emergencies. Another 200 working level staff will be sensitized on the subject in a half-day programme.