South Asian first responders undergo chemical emergency training

South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) first responders recently expanded their chemical incidents training acumen in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

The training was jointly run by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the Bangladesh National Authority for Chemical Weapons Convention (BNACWC), and the Bangladesh Army.

“I am happy that participants will become more familiar with the equipment needed during the response to a chemical attack, and will learn how to build an efficient response team in case of chemical emergencies,” the Bangladesh Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief Secretary Shah Kamal said.

The training enhanced the capacity of OPCW Member States to respond to incidents involving both chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial chemicals, officials said, providing the participants with knowledge on monitoring, detection and decontamination operations.

The work also involved a practical session on the use of protective equipment, as well as a demonstration of an emergency response to a chemical attack, held at the Mirpur Fire Service and Civil Defence Training Center in Dhaka.

The OPCW oversees an effort to permanently and verifiably eliminate chemical weapons, serving as the most successful disarmament treaty eliminating an entire class of weapons of mass destruction.

Officials estimate 96 percent of all chemical weapon stockpiles declared by possessor states have been destroyed under OPCW verification, and for its extensive efforts in eliminating chemical weapons, the OPCW received the 2013 Nobel Prize for Peace.