Aim
The aim of the Hospital Emergency Response Teams (HERT) course is to provide practical knowledge and technical skills to safely manage CBRN patients as a result of a natural, accidental, or intentional event. This is a hands-on course, and participants must be physically and psychologically fit to wear PPE during the training. All training at this level takes place with simulants (for chemical or biological warfare agents).
Objectives
Below are some, but not all, of the critical skill sets learned during this training program:
- Analyze the need, composition, and use of a HERT as a defensive weapons system for the healthcare facility.
- Summarise the organisation and operation of the HERT under an incident management system.
- Differentiate the recognition, medical consequences and treatment responses to a variety of illnesses and injuries from CBRN materials.
- Select and use the appropriate level of personal protective equipment as hospital first receivers in response to a potentially contaminated patient.
- Establish a healthcare facility Emergency Treatment Area, staffed by HERT members to support medical operations in response to a CBRN mass casualty incident.
- Compare decontamination methods and procedures.
- Perform triage for decontamination and treatment procedures within the Emergency Treatment Area during a hospital response to a mass casualty incident involving CBRN contamination.
- Conduct HERT operations in an Emergency Treatment Area while wearing appropriate personal protective equipment in response to a mass casualty incident involving CBRN contamination.
Methodology
This theoretical and practical course is structured to build incrementally challenging stages where participants are closely monitored and assessed by the instructors for their safety and performance. We maintain a good instructor to participant ratio so that all the participants get the necessary individual attention to master the core objectives of the training curriculum.Â
Course participants
This course is open to civilian and military healthcare personnel, emergency first responders, medical personnel, civil servants working in relevant international organisations providing healthcare services, safety and security officers.
Course prerequisites
- CBRN General awareness
- Medical clearance to work in PPE
Duration
24 hours (indicative)
The course is delivered over three days of full-time attendance. The training takes place at the Core CBRN Training Facility at the Hiddingen Test Center in Germany or at the client’s healthcare site.
Language
English (Interpretation services upon request)
Certification
Core CBRN International HERT Certificate