Page 22 - QARANC Vol 18 No 2 2020

20 The Gazette QARANC Association
Danish CBRN Clinical Course Development Defence Engagement
In early December 2017, the Centre for Defence Engagement approached the Joint Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear Defence (CBRN) Medical Faculty with a request for help from the Danish Medical Services. This was to help set up and provide a CBRN Clinical/ Casualty Care Course for their medical and nursing personnel. I was identified as the lead for this project and had many conversations with my liaison Major Christian Torp Jenson, to ascertain the requirements of this course and their personnel. From here, dates were arranged which would allow for me to travel to Aarhus, Denmark to analyse specific training needs and deliver the first iteration of their course. I was accompanied by Lieutenant Colonel Tony Calder, for this first course and when we arrived, we were taken to the Danish Medical Training Centre and got straight to work.
Day one consisted of understanding what the actual requirements and facilities that were on offer, as well as the training audience were. The daunting task of delivering the UK Defence CBRN Clinical Course, which normally lasts five days into the given time allotment of three days was a real challenge. This would require us to deliver training for 12-14 hours daily and with potential language issues. However, the training went well with the theoretical aspects of the course. This was followed by a more practical day, helping to bridge the theory- practice gap. Day three consisted of a more command-based table top scenario, which looked at the medical management of CBRN casualties, pushing the new knowledge even further. At the end of this day, we were invited to take in the sights of Aarhus and eat at the Street Food venue, when
it pulled together street food vendors from many different cuisines. Travelling back to the UK was touch and go due to The Beast from the East, which delayed our outbound flights and then onward travel on return, meaning an extra night in a hotel in Stanstead.
Following on from this, I was invited back three further times to help aid in the handover of this course to the Danish Medical Services, with my new Danish liaison Office Major Anders Juul, where each time the Danes took more of a lead role in the delivery of the course. Each time I was accompanied by a different colleague to help with this, firstly Squadron Leader Sam Todd, secondly Surgeon Commander Dennis Freshwater and then to finish and fully handover the course a fellow QARANC Emergency Care Nurse, Staff Sergeant Mark Anderton. On the final day of the course, we had a surprise visit from the Danish Surgeon General, who said that he was just passing. This was met with laughter from the Danish audience, as they said the SG doesn’t just pass. The realisation that something else was happening and the real reason for his presence was soon seen. The Danish SG had come to thank both Staff Sergeant Anderton and myself for delivering this course
and the hard work and determination that I had put in over the last two years and presented both of us a Danish Surgeon General’s Challenge Coin, which he said were not given out often. This was very apparent when we both noticed that myself and Staff Sergeant Anderton were numbers 10 and 11, respectively.
Throughout this Defence Engagement, it was great to see how the Danish Medical and Decontamination staff worked hard to understand the content, rationale and importance of this subject. The fact they are now delivering a bespoke course, aligned with NATO CBRN Casualty Care Doctrine was great to see. After handing the course over to them fully in September 2019, it was sad that my time helping the Danish Medical Services had come to an end. However, I forged many friendships and chat regularly, even being scoped for a possibility to help them further as Major Juul is now the Chief Flight Surgeon and is scoping the possibility of further Defence Engagements to help with In Flight CBRN Casualty Care. Indtil næste gang!
Warrant Officer 2 Robbie Beech Defence Specialist Advisor CBRN