A team from the UK’s Counter Terrorism Policing, National CBRN Centre completed the delivery of a five-day CBRN (Operational & Tactical) Command course aimed at strengthening the ability of the Emergency Services to respond to CBRN emergency scenarios.

The training, facilitated by the Office of Civil Contingencies and delivered at Bleak House last week, brought together 18 delegates from Gibraltar’s Emergency Services, the military, and other responding agencies. This initiative forms part of a long-standing commitment to ensuring that Gibraltar maintains the highest standards of readiness to address incidents requiring a coordinated and specialist multi-agency response.

The UK National CBRN Centre plays an important role in supporting and assuring CBRN response capabilities. As the UK’s hub for CBRN preparedness, it supports the emergency services to develop the necessary capabilities to respond rapidly and effectively to any terrorist or other criminal incidents involving the malicious use of CBRN materials or weapons. The course provided specialist instruction designed to enhance operational and tactical command and coordination in response to these threats.

The Hon Leslie Bruzon MP, Minister responsible Civil Contingencies emphasized the importance of the Emergency Services having the capability to respond to a CBRN incident: “While there is currently no intelligence indicating an increased threat of terrorist or hostile actors employing CBRN methods against Gibraltar, it remains imperative that we possess the capability and capacity to respond effectively should such a situation arise.”

Acknowledging the longstanding partnership between Gibraltar and the National CBRN Centre, Minister Bruzon added: “We are deeply grateful for National CBRN Centre’s continued support. Since the establishment of this relationship in 2018, their expertise has been instrumental in helping advance our emergency response capabilities.”

The National CBRN Centre’s Head of Learning and Development said: “It has been an honour to have worked with Gibraltar’s Emergency Services and other first responders this past week. While CBRN remains a low-probability threat, global vigilance is essential especially in today’s increasingly volatile security climate. This training demonstrates a small but important part of Gibraltar’s wider determination to safeguard its community through emergency preparedness.”

In his closing address to the course, the Civil Contingencies Coordinator, Lt Col (Retd) Ivor Lopez MBE thanked the UK team from the National CBRN Centre, adding: “This course represents a significant investment in our ability to protect the community. We are hugely grateful to the team for having deployed to Gibraltar to deliver the CBRN Command course and for their continued efforts in ensuring our responders are best prepared for the most challenging scenarios.”

The Office of Civil Contingencies together with Emergency Services will continue to work closely with the National CBRN Centre to further develop CBRN operational capabilities, ensuring Gibraltar remains resilient in the face of emerging challenges.