Ten Caribbean states in UK-supported chemical warfare agents detection and identification training

Representatives from technical and emergency services from 10 members states party to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) gathered in Bridgetown, Barbados from February 23-28 for training in the detection and identification of chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial chemicals.

The week-long training was organised by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) technical secretariat with facilitation support from the UK’s Ministry of Defence, a release from the British High Commission states.

PARTICIPANTS BEING TRAINED in the detection and identification of chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial chemicals

Participants from across the Caribbean had a grounding in the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) before donning Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) and pursuing practical training in both the detection of chemical agents and managing emergency situations. The course culminated in a simulated exercise where participants were able to put their skills to the test and then evaluate their performance in order to upskill their own organisation.

Chargés de-affaires at the British High Commission, Bridgetown, Charley Williams MBE, opened the training, underlined the importance of such initiatives. He noted that, “The UK is very pleased to be working again in partnership with Barbados and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Technical Secretariat to deliver this training. This current training which focuses on building chemical sampling capability for first responders, and incident and emergency services personnel, aims to help strengthen and build shared and sustainable regional resilience to withstand any such attack”.

TRAINEES WEARING PPE ready to take part in the exercise

Representation in the training exercise were drawn from: The Department of Analytical Services, Antigua and Barbuda; the Royal Bahamas Police Force; Department of Environment Health Services, Bahamas; the Barbados Fire Service;

Barbados Police Force; Belize Defence Force; Dominica Fire and Ambulance Service; Royal Grenada Police Force; Ministry of Heath and Wellness – Standards and Regulation Division,

Jamaica; St Kitts and Nevis Bureau of Standards; Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force; and the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force.

The release states that the UK has worked with Caribbean States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention and the regional authorities since 2008 with the aim of helping to build a strong regional response to the threat of Chemical Weapons. Previous events have focused on development of national chemical incident plans and effectively receiving international chemical weapons related assistance and

protection support in response to a major incident. The last training in the region was held in Barbados in January, 2023.