Emergency Response

History

Chemical Biological and Radiological (CBR) training is a fundamental element in the development of a CBR capability. The tragedy of the 1995 Tokyo Sarin gas incident demonstrated the potential for mass casualties when CBR materials are effectively disseminated. In Australia, the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games provided the impetus for the development of training for emergency services to respond to deliberate Chemical Biological and Radiological incidents. In 1997, a small working group, including representatives from police, fire, ambulance, and health organisations were sponsored by EMA to review CBR training requirements and to develop a package that could be delivered to 'First Response' agencies. It was evident from the beginning that the training required a multi-agency focus. Training materials were taken from a number of sources including the United States Domestic Preparedness Program and the American Defence Force. The possibility of a deliberate incident involving CBR materials during the 2000 Olympics could not be ruled out. The development of capacity to effectively respond to such incidents grew in the years leading up to the Games. This included the need to train a large number of emergency service personnel who would be the 'first responders' to a deliberate CBR incident. The requirement initially was to train up to 300 first responder personnel for the Games. A four day course was initially developed with six courses delivered at the Army's School of Military Engineering at Casula in western Sydney. While the focus was clearly on Sydney, other Olympic venue cities included Brisbane, Melbourne, Canberra and Adelaide. These cities were involved in improving their CBR response arrangements. Demand for the courses continued to grow and in early 2000, CBR training was moved to EMA's training facility at Mount Macedon, Victoria. Courses were open to all States and Territories with the priority on Olympic venue states. The response phase of an emergency may commence with search and rescue but in all cases the focus will quickly turn to fulfilling the basic humanitarian needs of the affected population. This assistance may be provided by national or international agencies and organisations. Effective coordination of disaster assistance is often crucial, particularly when many organisations respond and local emergency management agency (LEMA) capacity has been exceeded by the demand or diminished by the disaster itself. (Wisner, 22)

On a personal level the response can take the shape either of a shelter in place or an evacuation. In a shelter-in-place scenario, a family would be prepared to fend for themselves in their home for many days without any form of outside support. In an evacuation, a family leaves the area by automobile or other mode of transportation, taking with them the maximum amount of supplies they can carry, possibly including a tent for shelter. If mechanical transportation is not available, evacuation on foot would ideally include carrying at least three days of supplies and rain-tight bedding, a tarpaulin and a bedroll of blankets being the minimum. (Walker, 23)

The Present

Following the 2000 Olympic Games the frequency of CBR training was reduced to ...