IE FOCUS - 22 December 2014
For the second straight year, D N Safe organized, regulated and controlled a training exercise for the National Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives Response Team (Nat CBRNE RT), which consists of members from both the RCMP and CJIRU. The exercise, conducted from 4-6 November 2014, involved the use of live radiological sources to provide realistic training to the Nat CBRNE RT.
Last year, the exercise was conducted at various sites around Ottawa. This year, Vancouver, BC, was selected to be the site for the exercise. The Nat CBRNE RT conducts these regional exercises frequently to maintain and enhance its ability to respond to a domestic terrorism event. The exercise scenarios typically play out very similar to how they would in a real event – local first responders arrive on scene and must contain the situation until the Nat CBRNE RT arrives. Exercise locations vary across Canada each time to provide this experience to local responders and to allow the Nat CBRNE RT to become familiar with operating throughout Canada.
D N Safe has a deployable Technical Assistance Team (TAT) which supports the Nat CBRNE RT, as well as other CAF units and government partners. This assistance is provided upon request for exercises (either conducting or participating), training, and operations. For this exercise, D N Safe provided the nuclear safety authorization for the training event, and approved the exercise control plan. Two members, Mr. Roger Hugron and Capt Travis Cunning, were tasked as exercise controllers. Their job was to safely acquire, store, transport and deploy the radiological sources, as well as to ensure the safety of all exercise players and non-players in the area. In addition, they conducted site commissioning and decommissioning surveys to allow for the unrestricted release of the sites used after the conclusion of the exercise, confirming to the land owners that no residual radioactive material was left behind.