CBRN
The CBRN Professional Interest Group aims to be an active and effective focus within the Emergency Planning Society for the discussion and dissemination of issues relating to CBRN and Nuclear Emergency Planning.
If you are interested in contributing to the PWG, or in joining one of our specialist projects, please contact the Secretary to the PWG.
Committee Contacts
- To represent the Emergency Planning Society (EPS) on CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear) emergencies. This includes CBRN emergencies resulting from deliberate, accidental and natural causes.
- To report key activities of the Group to the main body of the EPS through the Director of Business Services.
- To act as the profession’s main liaison body to facilitate the ongoing development and continuous improvement of CBRN procedures and guidance.
- To influence the development of national policy by liaison with central government and other relevant UK and European bodies. Where appropriate, representatives from those bodies may be co-opted onto the Professional Issue Group (PIG) to support the group’s work.
- To represent the Society on key national working groups (e.g. Home Office CBRN Partners Delivery Forum, Mass Fatalities Working Group, etc).
- To establish internal working sub-groups as necessary, to progress specific areas of main Group activities, and to liaise with other PIGs where appropriate.
- To share information with the wider EPS membership and external bodies inorder to promote good practice. This will not apply to any information that is subject to HM Government security classifications.
- To promote the EPS through the delivery of presentations and attendance at other forums.
- To encourage participation and sharing of work by all members through regular attendance and personal contribution. 10 To prepare and maintain an annual Business Plan and report activity against targets.
- To review Group membership annually to ensure an appropriate balance of expertise and to confirm that members are still active.
- To hold annual elections for the posts of Chair, Vice-chair and Secretary.
Next Meeting
Minutes of Meetings
Available as ‘Resources’ on the main EPS Website.
The Project for Strengthening the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention Website
http://www.brad.ac.uk/acad/sbtwc
The Threat of Deliberate Disease in the 21st Century
http://www.brad.ac.uk/acad/sbtwc/other/disease.html
As we are holding the CBRN PWG AGM on 20th March from 3pm onwards at Larkhill Garrison,
Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 8QT, please find below an informal update of the group’s
achievements since the last AGM.
We had a paucity of meetings due to committee absences but compensated by delivering
activities instead; these included:
• The Chair presented at the SW Branch CBRN Study Day at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in
Truro on 2nd October 2018; see report in Resilience.
• The Dep Chair and Chair attended the EPS AGM on 10th September 2018 and presented
on the current state of CBRN and on the PWGs aspirations for the future.
• The Dep Chair and Jeff Charlton attended a joint EPS / CBRN-UK Bio Masterclass on 26th
September 2018 at the Royal Artillery Barracks, Salisbury, Wiltshire, where Jeff also
presented.
• The Chair presented at the Welsh Branch AGM and conference on 14th June 2018.
• Neil Hallam and the Chair ran a joint CBRN study day in conjunction with East Midlands
Branch
As for the future:
• The Dep Chair now attends the Human Aspects Group PWG in a liaison role to strive for
greater integration between the two groups.
• As part of the series of CBRN PWG articles that have been published in the Society
magazine, the Dep Chair and Chair are currently writing an article for the next edition of
Resilience regarding large-scale venues and CBRN with the Sports Ground Safety
Authority.
• We had contact from the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) who
gather evidence from experts (academics, NGOs, industry, regulators and government)
and then write briefing notes which are distributed to members of the House of Commons
and the House of Lords, as well as being made available to the public. Examples of their
briefings are available online here. They are about to complete a four-page briefing note
which summarises what chemical weapons are, how they are controlled and investigated,
and what measures can be used to minimise their impact. We will get a copy in the next
couple of weeks.
• We are co-locating the AGM on 20/3 with the CBRN-UK Chemical Warfare Workshop
where the Chair is presenting.
• CBRNE World magazine will run an event in partnership with EPS entitled Asymmetric
Stadium Threats’ at Old Trafford in June 2019 https://cbrneworld.com/events/cbrnemanchester. The PWG Chair will chair Day 1, and senior EPS staff will also present. More
details will follow through the Society.
• We are conscious that EPS members are running CBRN events, planning and exercises
through their primary employment. It makes sense for our PWG to offer assistance where
possible. I would therefore be grateful if Branch and PWG Chairs would pass this offer on
to their members, and also take this into consideration when planning Branch or PWG
activity
Regards
Barry Moss
Chair EPS CBRN PWG