CBRN COURSE FOR PRACTITIONERS TO SET NEW STANDARDS

The result of a joint public and private sector initiative between Lancashire Ambulance Service NHS Trust (LAS) and Professional Protection Systems the new CBRN course will enable practitioners, whether they come from the NHS or healthcare and emergency services, to attain the necessary operational level of familiarity with the new decontamination technologies.

“One of the problems at the moment”, says Phil Woodford, General Manager of Commercial Services at LAS,  pioneers of training in this sector, “is that many organisations have purchased the latest decon technology, but due to enormous workloads they haven’t  had time to test it, and in some cases don’t have the know how or time to evolve  practitioner training programmes in its use”.

It was the recognition of this situation that led LAS to pool its knowledge with PPS. One of the world’s biggest designers and manufacturers of decontamination equipment PPS provide the inflatable decon shower used by the NHS and UK ambulance services as well as the new generation metal framed mass decon showers for the UK governments terrorist response programme. In addition to this PPS sell their technology to emergency services, health services and the military all over the world. According to PPS MD Mark Whitcher this global customer base gives the company a unique knowledge of practitioner problems. “Whether its Australia, Japan, America or almost any country you would care to name in Europe we have been coming up with solutions to grass roots practitioner problems. We have in effect distilled this knowledge into this new practitioner CBRN programme”.

Upon completion of the course LAS and PPS promise delegates will be able to identify all their equipment, be competent in the erection and breakdown of decontamination shelters, the installation of generators, blowers, water heaters and associated equipment. The syllabus culminates in a practical exercise allowing all participants the opportunity to practice a mock decontamination scenario.

The new course will be presented for the first time in a one day event on Sept 28 at Professional Protection Systems headquarters at Milton Keynes.