Brussels, 15/09/2011 (Agence Europe) - European civil protection skills will be put to the test in Poland (in the Podkarpadskie Region of Lower Carpathia) on Friday 16 September in a simulated rescue to be observed by International Co-operation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva.
In the exercise, emergency teams will rescue football fans after a crash between their train and another loaded with hazardous chemical waste. This will be the grande finale of the Carpathex 2011 (12-16 September), to test emergency reaction capacities, far from the cameras.
“The exercise is an excellent tool to improve the coordination of civil protection resources available on the European level and to test and further improve the cooperation of member states with the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. Sharing of best practice and a common understanding of cooperation in civil protection assistance interventions is crucial for a quick and efficient response to crises and disasters both within the EU and outside it”, said Georgieva.
As in real life so in the scenario: the Polish authorities' emergency services will issue a request for assistance through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, which is managed through the MIC (Monitoring and Information Centre), to coordinate offers of assistance and ensure that what is proposed is in line with what is asked for. In addition to the emergency service teams from Poland, units from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Ukraine, specialists in chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats, and the EU Civil Protection Team will take part in the exercise. The exercise is funded to the tune of €266,000 by the European Union. (AN/transl.rt)