In CBRN incident response, which phase follows the trigger event?

• A. Containment
• B. Recovery
• C. Initial Response
• D. Prevention

Answer: (C)

When a CBRN incident is triggered, the first priority is to stabilize the situation and protect people, which is achieved in the Initial Response. This phase focuses on rapid assessment, establishing incident command, ensuring responder safety, notifying the right authorities, and initiating immediate protective actions and decontamination if needed. It sets the groundwork so the team can properly understand the hazard and decide the next steps.

Containment comes after the initial assessment, with actions aimed at limiting the spread of the hazard and isolating affected areas. Recovery follows once the hazard is controlled and operations begin to return to normal, addressing decontamination, remediation, and restoring capabilities. Prevention is about reducing risk for future incidents through preparedness and protective measures, not the first concrete step after a trigger event.