With the OSCE support, the Ukrainian civil protection agencies practice interagency response to chemical emergencies

Over 100 rescuers, police officers, medics and officials enhanced their co-operation skills at a two-day table-top chemical emergency response exercise, organized by the OSCE Secretariat Extra-Budgetary Support Programme for Ukraine together with the country’s State Emergency Service in Rivne, on 26-27 September. 

The practical part was based on modelling of a situation with a leak of dangerous chemical substance from a tank damaged by a rocket strike targeting an infrastructure facility. The simulation included practical work of first responders at the site of the emergency, evacuation and first aid to the victims of the incident, as well as decontamination of personnel and civilians. A major part of the table-top exercises was focused on the interagency command staff’s work to process incoming information and produce a co-ordinated response. Emergency response was complicated by information about other incidents with  hazardous chemicals happening in the area, which  required involvement of multiple agencies, including law enforcers, medics, local authorities and representatives of municipal utility enterprises.  

The training strengthened communication and co-operation of all agencies that need to be involved for quick and efficient work to deal with consequences of a complex and large-scale emergencies, minimize risks to people and environment from spill or release of toxic chemicals.

 “Chemical threats are omnipresent in a modern industrial society, but for Ukrainians these risks are especially high because of the ongoing war. It is important that participants from a variety of organizations had a chance to practice co-operation and hone management skills, as in a real life incidents this may save lives of many people,” said Yaroslav Yurtsaba, Associate Co-ordination Officer responsible for economic-environmental and politico-military projects of the OSCE Secretariat Extra-Budgetary Support Programme for Ukraine.

Environmental platform Ecodozor that with the SPU’s support gathers information on damages caused by the war to the environment, estimates that only in the course of August 2023 at least 59 objects of Ukraine’s critical infrastructure were damaged, more than half of them were those that represent  medium environmental risk or higher.

This effort is a part of the Enhancing Ukraine’s Chemical Emergency Response Capacity project implemented by the OSCE Secretariat Extra-Budgetary Support Programme for Ukraine with the funding provided by Organization’s participating States and partners, full list of donors is available here.