Written by Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences
Belgrade, Serbia — Advancing GROUNDUP’s mission to strengthen the Southern CEE CBRNE ecosystem, partners delivered an intensive five-day live-agent programme from 15 to 19 September 2025. The course blended classroom instruction with field, laboratory, and platform exercises to sharpen operational skills across radiological and biological response.
The week opened with radiological foundations and quickly moved into practice, guiding participants through the lifecycle management of disused sealed radioactive sources—from detection and secure packaging to preparation and transport—under real-world constraints. A LAT (distance–time–shielding) platform drill translated dose-reduction theory into confident, repeatable actions. A field visit reinforced detection and protection methods, followed by hands-on storage practices and conditioning of DSRS (categories 3–5), building technical fluency and team coordination.
Mid-week, the focus shifted to biological threats. A scenario-driven tabletop exercise challenged decision-making and inter-agency coordination, while afternoon platform drills honed disciplined PPE use and structured decontamination for personnel and equipment. The final phase completed the sampling-to-lab pathway: participants practiced biosecure sampling, chain-of-custody documentation, and transport, then engaged with detection principles and bench-level confirmation. A capstone integrated scenario fused all components under time pressure, validating teamwork, PPE discipline, and evidence integrity from first response to confirmatory analysis.
For GROUNDUP, the programme delivered what matters most: policy and guidance converted into operational competence; interoperable procedures that let diverse teams act as one; and a stronger regional talent pipeline ready for rapid, standards-aligned CBRNE response.
