Disaster Response Exercise EU MOLDEX 2017 - 1st Planning Conference
Disasters do not respect borders. When a major disaster strikes a country, the international community get together to help the victims, regardless of nationality. To be effective, the rescue services from different countries must be able to communicate, coordinate, and work together.
In September 2017, rescue teams from nine countries will train together at a field exercise in Moldova. Planning for the exercise started with the 1st Planning Conference organised on 01-02 March 2017 in Chisinau, Moldova. Civil Protection experts from nine countries came together to lay the foundation for the detailed planning of the field exercise. They confirmed the participation of their national teams, working together for a safer future. They visited the proposed exercise sites south of Chisinau and agreed that a realistic and challenging exercise can be arranged.
“International solidarity is vital in face of natural disasters,” says Ghenadie Barbu, Chief of the Coordination, Planning and Operations Directorate of the Civil Protection and Emergency Situations Service of Moldova, and PPRD East 2 Steering Committee member, “and we are delighted with the expression of solidarity shown by the participation of civil protection experts from EU and non-EU countries in this first step toward the disaster response exercise in September.”
The exercise, named EU MOLDEX 2017, will be conducted as part of the EU funded Programme on Prevention, Preparedness and Response to Natural and Man-made Disasters in the Eastern Partnership Countries – PPRD East 2. While Moldova is hosting the exercise, their rescue teams will be supported by teams from the five other Partner Countries – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, and Ukraine. They will be supplemented with teams from three EU Member States: the Czech Republic, Denmark and Romania.
The exercise will be based on a fictitious earthquake resulting in victims trapped in collapsed buildings, flooding caused by a burst dam, and a release of dangerous chemicals resulting from a transport accident. The rescue teams will be tasked with finding the people in the ruins, rescuing people in flooded areas, and dealing with the hazardous chemicals. These actions will enhance operational cooperation and coordination among the intervention teams. The exercise will test the provision and receipt of civil protection assistance via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism using Host Nations Support Guidelines. It will enhance the interoperability of equipment, command/coordination structures and communication tools from different beneficiaries and the Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) of the European Commission.
Background information
The EU-funded Programme on Prevention, Preparedness and Response to Natural and Man-made Disasters (PPRD East 2) is to contribute to the peace, stability, security and prosperity of the Eastern Partner Countries. It is also aimed to protect the environment, population, cultural heritage, resources and infrastructures of the region by strengthening the countries’ resilience, preparedness and response to man-made disasters and disasters caused by natural hazards.
The PPRD East 2 Programme facilitates the strengthening of disaster risk management capacities at the national level in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, to strengthen regional cooperation among the Partner Countries, and brings Partner Countries progressively closer to the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. The Programme will last for 4 years with a budget of €5.5 million.