16 Ambulances Equipped With CBRN

Sixteen ambulances are to be equipped for situations in which the threat of chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear warfare (including terrorism) hazards may be present, said Pirhossein Kolivand, director general of the Health Ministry’s Crisis Management and Civil Defense Department.

“These ambulances, each belonging to one of the universities of medical sciences, are to be equipped with CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear) defense systems, such as CBRN filters and air conditioning system,” he told IRNA on Tuesday.

Bioterrorism is the intentional release or dissemination of biological agents. These agents could be bacteria, viruses, or toxins, and may be in a naturally occurring or a human-modified form. CBRN defense consists of CBRN passive protection, contamination avoidance and CBRN mitigation.

It would cost an estimated 400 million rials ($10,500) to prepare each of these ambulances. They will use entirely domestically produced equipment, he said.