Emergency scenarios designed from tabletop exercises, numerical simulations, and the development of a gap evaluation tool to implement a virtual reality platform for the remote training of CBRNe first responders and decision-makers

In the last few decades, an increasing number of threats associated with Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear explosive (CBRNe) agents has driven the need to develop new tools to improve the safety and security of societies and those who employ their protection. In the context of CBRNe scenarios, improving the preparedness of First Responders and advisor of decision makers represents the first and most fundamental strategy in pursuing risk mitigation. In this work, I have developed a methodology to create emergency scenarios that can be used for preparedness as well as contents to develop a training simulator that works with virtual reality. This methodology works through four stages: 1) Design of the general scenarios and test it through tabletop exercises; 2) Numerical simulations with free license code to get detailed data of diffusion of CRB agents; 3) Develop and test of an algorithm implemented in excel to evaluate the criticalities of the experts that are testing their preparedness (gap analysis); 4) Identification of the international contest and design proposal of a virtual reality platform. The technical description of the methodology with the details and the results obtained for each of the four phases are presented and discussed to demonstrate that it can be used to have an integration of the national and international preparedness capabilities in case of CBRNe emergencies.