ARMY RESOURCE PERSONNEL IN CBRN RESPONSE SQUADRON CONTRIBUTE TO COURSE ON CHEMICAL INCIDENTS
Members of the Army Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Response Squadron, formed recently as a conceptual notion of the Commander of the Army to meet with any catastrophic chemical emergencies have been invited to take part as resource personnel in the Basic Training Course on Emergency Response at Chemical Incidents, was conducted at Taj Samudra Hotel from 6th February 2017 to 10th February 2017.\r\n\r\n30 foreign representatives from 14 countries, including local participants were taking part in this course, organized by the National Authority for the Implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, established in keeping with the Chemical Weapons Convention Act No: 58 of 2007 for Prohibition of the Development, Production, Transfer, Stockpiling Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction.\r\n\r\nCommanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Pradeep Siriwardana and Major Asanka Hidellaarachchi Officer Commanding CBRN Response Squadron of the 14 Independent Engineer Regiment of Sri Lanka Engineers who have received local and foreign training from the National Authority and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) are taking part in the ongoing sessions as resource personnel.\r\n\r\nBrigadier Amith Seneviratne, Engineer Brigade Commander and Major Sanjeewa Assaddumegedara, Commanding Officer, 5 Field Engineer Regiment are among the course attendees.\r\n\r\nThe outdoor practical session, connected to the Course took place on 8 February 2017 at Mattegoda CBRN Headquarters in the presence of all course attendees, using required technical and decontamination equipment, detectors and other instruments.\r\n\r\nNational Authority for the Implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), established under the Ministry of Industry and Commerce according to the Chemical Weapons Convention Act No 58 of 2007 is empowered to fulfill the national implementation measures under the CWC which is an international treaty for the prohibition of the Development, Production, Transfer, Stockpiling, use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction.\r\n\r\nWith the objective of enhancing knowledge on chemical weapons and alerting relative personnel for necessary response capacity in the event of chemical emergencies in the region, the National Authority and international organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (POCW) jointly organized this basic course with the support of Army, local and foreign resource personnel.\r\n\r\n
