By Marian Kolencik
President of ISEM Institute and CBRN security expert Marian Kolencik introduces a unique, specialized training exercise for security forces from the five Central Asian republics.
Central Asia’s strategic location and its proximity to regions with various security challenges make it vital in the fight against illicit trafficking of hazardous material, terrorism, and CBRN threats. As global concern about CBRN-related crimes grows, the need for comprehensive training of security forces in these regions has become more urgent. Recognizing this, the European Union’s Foreign Policy Instrument funded the Law Enforcement in Central Asia (LEICA) project, a significant initiative aimed at enhancing the capacity of Central Asian law enforcement agencies in responding to CBRN-related incidents.
The LEICA project, led by a consortium headed by French Civipol and with ISEM Institute as a key consortium member, organized specialized training sessions for security forces from five Central Asian countries: Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan.
These training programs focused on three critical CBRN areas: tactical medicine in hostile environments, crime scene investigation under CBRN conditions and SWAT team interventions in contaminated environments. Some of the training took place in the respective countries, while others were hosted at the ISEM Institute’s training facility in Slovakia.
These sessions addressed the complex nature of CBRN threats, focusing on rescuing victims in hostile environments, paramedical intervention, multiagency cooperation, crime scene reconnaissance, risk assessment, PPE, evidence collection, crime scene analysis, decontamination, and waste disposal. For SWAT teams, the training emphasized risk management, tactical operations in contaminated environments, suspect apprehension, and decontamination protocols. The training program is an integral part of ISEM Institute’s accredited programs within the Slovakian national accreditation authority’s EU lifelong learning strategy.
Training Objectives and Scope
Tactical medicine involves providing emergency medical care in hostile environments with ongoing threats, such as active combat zones, terrorist attacks, or criminal raids. When CBRN agents are introduced into these environments, the challenges for medical responders multiply and thereby necessitates specialized knowledge in areas like contamination control, the use of protective gear, and multi-agency cooperation.
The training sessions provided by ISEM Institute were conducted in Central Asian countries and Slovakia, targeting medical and paramedical personnel, emergency management agencies, and first responders who might face such situations. This training was designed to help participants navigate the overlapping threats of hostile environments and CBRN contamination while ensuring the highest possible level of pre-hospital medical care for affected victims, perpetrators, or responding officers.
Operating Under Contaminated and Hostile Conditions
One of the most significant challenges for medical teams in CBRN environments is the ability to safely operate while exposed to potentially lethal contaminants, such as toxic chemicals or radiation. The training focused on teaching responders how to assess and manage patients without putting themselves or their teams at unnecessary risk. This included understanding the hazards associated with various CBRN agents, proper risk assessment, and deploying medical aid while wearing personal PPE.
Responders were also trained to coordinate with SWAT teams and other law enforcement agencies, ensuring that medical interventions can be performed during or immediately after tactical operations when suspects may still pose a threat or when the environment remains hazardous.
Immediate Life-Saving Interventions in CBRN Zones
In the chaotic aftermath of a CBRN attack or incident, medical personnel must be able to perform critical life-saving procedures in the field. This includes managing airway obstructions, controlling bleeding, and performing emergency decontamination while in contaminated areas. Training sessions highlighted the importance of performing basic but effective medical procedures such as applying tourniquets, performing needle decompressions for tension pneumothorax, and rapidly assessing patients for contamination while balancing speed with safety.
This type of training, designed to simulate real-world hostile conditions, included practical exercises where trainees had to treat injured SWAT or law enforcement officers while simultaneously dealing with CBRN-related hazards.
Advanced PPE for Medical Teams
Proper selection and use of PPE are essential when providing paramedical care in a CBRN environment. The training emphasized how medical and response personnel can balance the need for protection with the dexterity required to perform intricate medical procedures. Participants learned about the different levels of PPE – from basic gloves and masks to fully encapsulating suits – and the corresponding scenarios in which they should be used.
Responders were trained to quickly decide what level of PPE is appropriate based on the contamination type, patient condition, and surrounding hazards. For example, dealing with a chemical spill may require a different approach than a radiological event, and responders need to be able to adjust their gear and protocols accordingly.
Tactical Triage and Casualty Evacuation in CBRN Contexts
Triage is essential to any mass casualty incident, but triage becomes even more complicated in a CBRN-contaminated zone. Medical teams were trained to perform tactical triage, prioritizing patients based on their medical needs and level of contamination. Responders learned how to make critical decisions about whether certain patients needed immediate medical attention or whether decontamination should take precedence to prevent further harm to medical teams and other patients.
Training also covered casualty evacuation procedures in CBRN conditions, which included preparing patients for safe transport out of contaminated zones.
Decontamination Procedures for Responders and Patients
Decontamination is a critical step after providing medical care in a CBRN environment. The training focused on proper decontamination procedures for both responders and patients, ensuring that hazardous substances do not spread beyond the initial contamination zone. Responders learned how to safely remove PPE without exposing themselves to contaminants and how to properly decontaminate patients while preserving evidence and ensuring that medical care is not compromised.
Multiagency Coordination in Hostile CBRN Environments
A CBRN incident often involves multiple agencies with different roles and responsibilities. For example, law enforcement might be focused on neutralizing a threat while paramedical teams handle the casualties, and CBRN experts assess the contamination. Training sessions within the LEICA project focused on integrating paramedical response teams with law enforcement, CBRN experts, and SWAT units. Paramedical teams were trained to communicate effectively with other agencies, ensuring that medical interventions were performed at the right time and in the right place.
This aspect of the training was crucial for Central Asia’s law enforcement and emergency services, where there is a need to improve coordination between agencies during large-scale incidents.
Crime Scene Investigation Under CBRN Conditions: Six Key Aspects
In CBRN incidents, especially those involving radiological or chemical substances, crime scene investigations become extremely delicate and hazardous. The ISEM Institute trainings were based on field experience from actual criminal cases where procedures, images, and videos from investigations of CBRN cases were used. The ISEM Institute’s training for law enforcement agencies in Central Asia focused on the following several crucial aspects of crime scene investigation in CBRN environments:
- 1. Multiagency Cooperation.
In the face of CBRN incidents, effective crime scene management requires cooperation between various agencies, such as law enforcement, forensic experts, medical services, fire departments, and CBRN response units. Training emphasized the importance of joint operations, where seamless communication and role distribution are critical. Participants learned how to coordinate roles, share information, and provide mutual support during investigations to ensure a streamlined and effective response to CBRN crime scenes.
- 2. Proper Crime Scene Reconnaissance.
Reconnaissance is essential before deploying investigators to a contaminated crime scene. Central Asia’s security forces were trained on how to assess the nature and scope of the crime scene before full engagement. This included understanding the type of threat, locating the contamination zones, and identifying entry and exit points. Teams were instructed on deploying specialized reconnaissance, detection, and CBRN agent identification equipment while working with CBRN experts to gather essential data without compromising safety.
- 3. Risk Assessment Before Deployment.
A key component of crime scene investigation under CBRN conditions is conducting a thorough risk assessment before deploying personnel. The training sessions highlighted techniques for evaluating environmental risks, such as radiation levels, toxic chemical concentrations, biological hazards, and potential secondary hazards like explosives. This step is essential to determining the investigators’ exposure risk and the appropriate level of protection needed. Central Asian officers were trained to work closely with CBRN experts to conduct real-time risk assessments, ensuring the safety of all responders.
- 4. Proper Selection and Use of PPE.
The proper use of PPE is paramount in CBRN environments, and the choice of gear must be based on a thorough risk assessment. Officers were trained in selecting and using PPE, ensuring it matched the threat level. This included learning about different levels of protective gear, from basic contamination-resistant suits to high-grade radiation shielding equipment. Central Asian investigators were also trained to operate safely in PPE, including maintaining communication, mobility, and dexterity while wearing the gear.
- 5. Safe Evidence Collection.
Gathering evidence in a CBRN crime scene presents unique challenges. Officers were trained in the prioritization of evidence, proper evidence collection, packaging, and transportation techniques to prevent contamination or damage to crucial forensic materials. This included using specialized tools to handle samples, marking contaminated zones, and employing proper decontamination techniques for both evidence and investigators. Central Asian forensic experts and investigators were instructed on how to ensure the chain of custody for evidence in these sensitive situations, which is vital for future prosecution.
- 6. Crime Scene Analysis Techniques.
Once evidence is collected, analyzing the crime scene while minimizing the risk of exposure to hazardous substances is critical. The training focused on the forensic analysis of CBRN materials, including the use of portable devices to measure radiation levels, chemical compositions, and biological agents. Additionally, law enforcement agents were trained to work in tandem with CBRN specialists, ensuring that the crime scene investigation was thorough, accurate, and adhered to safety protocols.
- 7. Procedures for Decontamination and Disposal.
Crime scene investigation teams as third responders, such as forensic experts and investigators, received specialized training in decontamination procedures and hazardous waste disposal as part of broader CBRN crime scene management. This training ensured that they can operate safely, avoid exposure, and protect public health and the environment from potentially devastating consequences of contamination. Through these procedures, crime scene investigation focused on solving crime under CBRN conditions and mitigating the long-term environmental and public health risks associated with CBRN agents.
SWAT Team Interventions Under CBRN Conditions: Tactical Response
Handling a tactical intervention under CBRN conditions is one of the most dangerous and complex scenarios for SWAT teams. The training sessions provided by the ISEM Institute for Central Asia’s SWAT units focused on developing advanced operational techniques to neutralize threats while navigating hazardous environments. The following components were central to the training:
- 1. Risk Assessment and Scene Reconnaissance.
As with crime scene investigation, the first step in a SWAT intervention under CBRN conditions is understanding the threat landscape. The training emphasized the importance of pre-raid reconnaissance, which allows SWAT teams to understand contamination zones, identify potential threats, and determine the level of risk. Using specialized detection equipment, teams learned how to map out the affected area and avoid unnecessary exposure to hazardous substances.
- 2. Deployment of Team Members.
A well-coordinated SWAT deployment is crucial in CBRN situations. Teams were trained to operate in specialized roles, including snipers for long-range threat neutralization, CBRN experts for real-time contamination assessments, EOD experts for dealing with potential bombs, and the raid team for direct confrontation with perpetrators. Officers learned how to move through contaminated environments, navigate hazardous zones, and ensure continuous communication between team members.
- 3. Apprehending or Neutralizing Perpetrators.
SWAT officers were trained to apprehend or neutralize suspects in CBRN-contaminated environments. This involved using specialized tactics to ensure the team’s safety while minimizing the risk of contamination. Teams learned how to approach and subdue perpetrators in areas where chemicals, biological toxins or radiation posed significant risks, utilizing tactical manoeuvres designed for hazardous conditions.
- 4. Filtration of Suspects (Triage from SWAT Team Perspective).
One of the most unique challenges in a CBRN situation is determining which suspects or civilians may have been contaminated and who may pose a threat in terms of resistance and fight or consequent attack towards responders. SWAT teams were trained to filter and triage individuals based on their exposure level, identifying those who may require immediate decontamination or medical attention but also those who may be part of a criminal group pretending to be a victim. This “filtration” and triage process helps prevent further contamination or further escalation and ensures that individuals are processed safely and effectively.
- 5. Decontamination of SWAT Team and Apprehended Individuals.
After a CBRN operation, the immediate decontamination of SWAT team members and any apprehended suspects is critical to prevent the spread of hazardous substances. Training sessions focused on decontamination techniques, teaching officers how to decontaminate themselves, their equipment, and any individuals they apprehend. This process involves specialized decontamination stations and procedures that ensure contaminants are removed safely without spreading to other areas.
Apprehended individuals present unique challenges in CBRN environments, especially if they are injured or highly contaminated. SWAT officers learned safe and effective decontamination techniques, balancing the need to preserve evidence while ensuring the suspects’ and officers’ health and safety. This training included methods for using specialized decontamination tools and equipment, ensuring suspects were handled with care while maintaining the integrity of the operation.
- 6. Command Post as the Cornerstone of Effective SWAT Operations in CBRN Scenarios.
In any SWAT operation, the command post is the beating heart of the mission, but its importance grows exponentially when CBRN agents are involved. The command post’s ability to integrate intelligence, coordinate multiple agencies, assess risks, and ensure effective communication can make the difference between success and failure in high-risk, contaminated environments.
Through the training provided by the ISEM Institute, SWAT teams and law enforcement agencies in Central Asia have gained critical skills in establishing and managing command posts under CBRN conditions. This ensures that they are better prepared to protect their countries from the rising threats of CBRN-related crimes while also contributing to the broader goal of enhancing global security.
The emphasis on command post leadership and multiagency coordination ensures that SWAT teams in the region are equipped to respond to the evolving threat landscape with confidence, precision, and the highest levels of preparedness.
Strengthening Security in Central Asia and Beyond
These training programs play a pivotal role in increasing regional and global security by enhancing the capabilities of Central Asia’s law enforcement agencies to manage CBRN-related incidents. The specialized knowledge and skills imparted through the LEICA project, funded by the European Union’s Foreign Policy Instrument, have improved the operational efficiency of crime scene investigation and SWAT teams, and strengthened multi-agency cooperation.
This initiative, led by Civipol with ISEM Institute as a consortium member, marks a significant step forward in Central Asia’s preparedness for handling CBRN threats. It fosters a safer environment for both regional populations and the international community.
In a world where CBRN threats are becoming increasingly complex, helping Central Asian law enforcement agencies build their capacity is vital for regional security and protecting global security. These training programs are a critical investment in our shared future, ensuring that law enforcement agencies are equipped to respond to and mitigate the risks posed by dangerous CBRN incidents.
Marian Kolencik is the President of ISEM Institute and a CBRNE security and counter-terrorism expert and behavioural analyst.
