Final exercise within the project “EU 4 Better Civil Protection” – EU CZ BiH Banja Luka 2021 (10/10-10/15/2021)
The Civil Protection Directorate of the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia and the Association for Risk Management AZUR (hereinafter: Consortium) implemented the project “EU 4 Better Civil Protection – Capacity building and preparation of Bosnia and Herzegovina for the Civil Protection Mechanism of the European Union” (hereinafter text: Project). This project had a general/general goal of reducing vulnerability to natural and other disasters at all levels of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The project was divided into five work packages. Through work package 2, entitled “Training for intervention and rescue units/units”, the implementation of training for search and rescue from ruins, water rescue training, camp management training, trainer training and field exercise is planned. The field exercise (FEX) was organized by the Consortium (Directorate of Civil Protection of the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia and the Association for Risk Management AZUR, with the support of project users) as the main activity of work package 2, and the participants of the practical trainings that were conducted as part of the work package will participate in the exercise 2.
The field exercise was held in the wider area of Banja Luka from October 11 to 15, 2021, and in the exercise, in addition to the field part, the communication process between the operational centers of all participants/participants of the exercise was checked.
Since 10/09/2021, at the Banja Luka location, practical preparations for the implementation of the exercise “EU CZ BiH – Banja Luka 2021” continued, which began about 10 days earlier in the organization and direct activities of the Association AZUR. Preparations were carried out at four locations: Incel (USAR), Trapisiti Vrbas i Jezero (WR), and Zalužani (Operations Base and Camp Management). On this occasion, the locations of the operations were visited from the perspective of additional checks on the implementation of all preparatory actions, the readiness of the teams was checked, and they were certified.During the preparations for the organization of the exercise, a meeting of the exercise implementers was held with representatives of the Red Cross of the Republika Srpska and the Red Cross of the Brčko District of BiH, where it was agreed that the participants would be involved in the exercise of water rescue and rescue and search from the ruins, as well as the setting up of camps.
During the preparations for the organization of the exercise, a meeting of the exercise implementers was held with representatives of the Red Cross of the Republika Srpska and the Red Cross of the Brčko District of BiH, where it was agreed that the participants would be involved in the exercise of water rescue and rescue and search from the ruins, as well as the setting up of camps.
The EU CZ BiH – BANJA LUKA 2021 civil protection field exercise scenario was based on real vulnerabilities in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region that occurred or could occur, and in that segment the field exercise demonstrated the state of operational readiness for an efficient response.
The Union Mechanism for Civil Protection provides a legal and operational framework for European cooperation in civil protection assistance within and outside the European Union and was activated in the exercise scenario to simulate the activities of seeking and accepting international assistance through the Emergency Response Coordination Center – ERCC. The exercise provided a training platform for all involved participants in the field of civil protection and resulted in a strengthening of understanding of how to implement an international civil protection operation. The exercise will improve operational cooperation as well as technical skills among all participants. Furthermore, knowledge about the tools and capacities of the Union Civil Protection Mechanism was increased.
EXERCISE PLANNING
In order to ensure timely and efficient planning of the exercise, three planning conferences were held within the work package 2:
- Initial planning conference – IPC, 11/05/2020. (Sarajevo)
- Main Planning Conference – MPC, 06.10/2021. (Banja Luka)
- Final Planning Conference – FPC, 09/07/2021 (Banja Luka)
RThe representatives of the Consortium and all partners from Bosnia and Herzegovina participated in the planning conferences, through the formed team for planning the exercise. During the conferences, a tour of the exercise locations in the wider area of Banja Luka was organized and agreements were made regarding the preparation of the exercise report with all the necessary elements of the exercise (detailed scenario, exercise objectives, exercise participants, location preparation, exercise dynamics, logistics and security plan, program for observers and exercise analysis).
TOPIC AND OBJECTIVES OF THE EXERCISE
The main topic of the exercise was the operation of the protection and rescue system in the event of floods and landslides in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the activation of the Union Civil Protection Mechanism.
The main objectives of the exercise were::
a) Coordination of activities between all participants in the protection and rescue system in Bosnia and Herzegovina in response to disasters
b) Checking the competence of civil protection teams for search and rescue from ruins, water rescue teams and camp management teams from all participants in the protection and rescue system of Bosnia and Herzegovina who have completed the training through work package 2.
c) Checking the competence of members of the Host Nation Support team who have completed the training through work package 1.
d) Establishment and management of an operation base for the accommodation of civil protection teams
e) Establishment and management of a camp to accommodate evacuees
f) Communication coordination of operational centers of all participants in the protection and rescue system in Bosnia and Herzegovina
g) Verification of procedures for operational action of civil protection teams in the field in case of floods and landslides and coordination of activities with the competent civil protection headquarters
h) Coordination of activities through the UCPM (EUCPT and ERCC), seeking and accepting international assistance
i) Implementation of lessons learned in the applicable regulations that define the system of protection and rescue of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
EXERCISE PARTICIPANTS
The exercise was attended by all parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s disaster response protection and rescue system, i.e. their members who were trained as part of the work package of the 2nd Project as follows:
Ministry of Security of BiH:
- Operational-Communication Center of BiH – 112
- Host Nation Support Team
Federal Civil Protection Administration:
- Operations Center
- USAR module
- Water rescue module
- Camp management module.
Civil Protection Administration of the Republic of Srpska:
- Operations Center
- USAR module
- Water rescue module
- Camp management module.
Department for Public Safety Brcko District of BiH
- Operations Center
- USAR module (USAR)
- Water rescue module (WR)
- Camp management module (CM).
The operational forces of the leading partner in the Consortium, based on the contract of the Directorate of Civil Protection – MUP of the Republic of Croatia, also participated in the exercise:
- Civil Protection Operations Center
- Combined module (search and rescue from ruins; search and rescue in floods).
EXERCISE LOCATIONS
All practice locations are located in the wider area of the city of Banja Luka:
- Base of Operation and Reception and Departure Center (RDC): Zalužani
- Camp for taking care of people: Zalužani
- Water Rescue – floods (river Vrbas – Trapist and lake Zalužani)
- Search and rescue – landslides (Incel and Quarry factory – reserve location)
- Preparations for conducting such a complex and significant exercise are carried out at the highest level.
Preparations for the execution of such a complex and significant exercise were carried out at the highest level, which ensured the smooth and safe conduct of the complex final exercise during the coronavirus pandemic and the complex security exercise in which several hundred participants, holders of the civil protection system/systems in Bosnia and Herzegovina, took part.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank the European Union (as a Donor), the Delegation of the European Union in Bosnia and Herzegovina, for their support, the consortium partners, the beneficiaries of the project, and the city of Banja Luka as a host of the locations.