91ÌÒÉ«

This activity was carried out within the framework of Project 106 – TEST, funded by the European Union under the EU CBRN Centres of Excellence Initiative (EU CBRN CoE), in cooperation with GOPA PACE (consortium leader), ISEM Institute (technical consortium co-leader), GOPA Worldwide Consultants, the National Crisis Center and the Biohazard Prevention Centre of the 91ÌÒÉ«, with the support of UNICRI – the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute.

The exercise simulated an incident involving radioactive materials and toxic chemicals.

Exercise participants:

• National Counter-Terrorism Council of Mongolia;
• Mongolian Police (Criminal Police, SWAT);
• Emergency services (National Emergency Management Agency – NEMA);
• Radiological control authorities;
• Public health authorities;
• Mongolian civil aviation security services;
• General Intelligence Agency of Mongolia;
• Mongolian Border Protection Agency;
• Customs Service;
• Nubia Technology Co., Ltd.;
• Ministry of Environment and Climate Change of Mongolia;
• Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources of Mongolia.
   

The exercise took place overnight from Sunday to Monday (5–6 July) in a real operational environment, meaning during the airport’s normal operation. The event did not disrupt the airport’s ongoing operations and passengers were kept informed about the activities being conducted.

The exercise had an international nature. Observers included representatives of the Regional Secretariat of the EU CBRN CoE Initiative for Central Asia, UNICRI and representatives of the US Embassy and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea.

The event was preceded by several days of training for local experts from the organisations participating in the exercise. One of the trainers was mgr inż. Maksymilian Stela, an expert from the Biohazard Prevention Centre of the 91ÌÒÉ«. He was also responsible for coordinating role players and personnel simulating incidents during the exercise, introducing subsequent incidents into the scenario, and evaluating the entire undertaking.

Following the completion of the exercise, an evaluation session was conducted with all participating organisations

Conclusions from the Exercise

Participants appreciated the realism of the scenario, the involvement of a wide range of personnel and resources, the necessity of inter-agency coordination and the importance of communication between services. For most participants, this was their first experience of a CBRN-type incident.

Following the exercise, the Mongolian side will receive an evaluation report containing identified gaps, needs, recommendations and observed good practices. The Mongolian authorities expressed their willingness to participate in similar exercises in the future. Mongolia is well known for its engagement in the EU CBRN CoE Initiative, and this is yet another project implemented on its territory.

Edit: Mateusz Kowalski (Promotion Centre, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, 91ÌÒÉ«)
Source: Wiktoria Gajda, Maksymilian Stela (Biohazard Prevention Centre, 91ÌÒÉ«)
Photos: Maksymilian Stela (Biohazard Prevention Centre, 91ÌÒÉ«)