How and Why Do Czech Firefighters Teach "Protection Against Hazardous Chemicals" in East Africa

Abstract

Protection against hazardous chemicals is very important topic that everyone who deals with chemicals should be knowledgeable about. The Czech Republic, as an industrial country with a strong historical connection to natural sciences, closely cooperates with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Mutual cooperation between the Czech national institutions and the international community has led to the creation of the Regional Training Centre for the East African Community in Uganda. The centre is designed for specialists – first responders in the field of chemical safety and was established as an output of the project "Strengthening chemical emergency response, planning and management for the East African Community partner states". Successful participants of the courses then become regional instructors and train other experts in both the training centre in Uganda and their respective countries. The training is composed of theoretical and practical activities, and the article describes in details the training methodology and relevant sources of information on chemicals, which can be used not only for first responders, but also for students of crisis management and other related fields.