Civil protection teams from seven EU Member States (MS) and UCPM Participating States (PS) came together to test themselves in the event of an extensive flood response in an EU MODEX in Styria (“Steiermark”) from 19 to 22 November 2024.
Styria with its large mountainous areas is no stranger to severe flooding. Flash floods and landslides are on the rise, as in many central European countries that face more frequent and severe flooding events. Therefore, the scenario of the EU MODEX was as real as it can get: Extreme downpour of rain for several days and thunderstorms led to flash floods and landslides in the mountainous State of Styria in the Federal Republic of Austria. It cut off valleys, damaged important infrastructure, including the water supply and wastewater systems, and affected industrial facilities as well. Rural towns faced massive destruction. Worse, many people are unaccounted for.
Given the magnitude of events, the Austrian Ministry of Interior at the request of the regional Styrian government, requested international assistance through the Union Civil Protection Mechanisms (UCPM) as part of the exercise.
In fact, the focus was on testing the ability of the various modules and other response capacity (ORC) to coordinate and respond jointly and effectively to such a water-related incident. The exercise involved four high capacity pumping modules, one flood rescue using boats module and one Short Term Countermeasures capacity.
I think this exercise was a very good learning opportunity, both as a team and individually. The technical learning was challenging enough and enriching. I could say it was a good balance of practical and operational training.
The exercise was organised by the Consortium led by APELL RO, and consisted of the following organisations: Austrian Red Cross, Directorate-General Fire Safety and Civil Protection from Bulgaria, Italian Directorate General for Civil Protection of the Sardinia Regional Authority, State Fire and Rescue Service from Latvia, General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations from Moldova, Portuguese National Authority for Emergencies and Civil Protection and General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations from Romania.
The Austrian side, who hosted and co-organised the exercise, included Styria’s State fire brigade association and the regional branch of the Austrian Red Cross, as well as representatives from relevant authorities in the province of Graz and Leibnitz. The exercise participants came from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Romania. In all, 173 individuals are involved
All the activities were developed according to the operational objectives EU MODEX. Participating modules/ORC tested whether they fulfilled the quality requirements for a UCPM deployment. In general terms, this includes cooperation, coordination, interoperability (of the various modules employed in the exercise), self-sufficiency (for example in terms of food and accommodation), standard operating procedures (SOP), communication and reporting, as well as safety and security. The aim of the exercise was also to provide a learning opportunity for all participants – and beyond.
While the UCPM responds to authorities’ urgent requests for help, training and exercises are also important to foster readiness when needed.
From a personal point of view, there was a lot of effort and a heavy workload. But it was also a great experience and a pleasure to work with such a fantastic team.
The participants emphasised how the exercise challenged them while also offering opportunities for growth and learning and they also highlighted the significance of interoperability between teams. Simon Dotta, CEO of APELL RO, noted: "The exercise was planned and designed to cover the training objectives, as well as to challenge the team’s operations, logistics, and abilities from various perspectives. The team’s excellent work met the exercise’s expectations."
The aim of the exercise was also to provide a learning opportunity for all participants – and beyond. While the UCPM responds to authorities’ urgent requests for help, training and exercises like this are essential to fostering readiness when needed.
This exercise was an excellent opportunity for us, to learn more about the HCP operational concepts and equipment, as we also need to develop that capacity for the region in the future. It was also great to bring together all the national responders and authorities once more. The cooperation extended beyond the participants and national actors during the exercise to include the execution, the venue, and the interaction between all involved.
Background
They are called EU MODEX: modules field and tabletop exercises that allow disaster risk managers, civil protection experts and relevant authorities to test their capabilities in an international setting, focusing on effective coordination, achieving interoperability, maintaining self-sufficiency, exchanging information about standard operating procedures and equipment, managing command structures, and establishing robust communication and reporting systems.
It was the first exercise conducted by the LOT 2 MODEX consortium within cycle 12. The goal of this module field exercise is to provide water-related modules and other capacities with the opportunity to conduct a practical exercise at European level and aligned with UCPM policies and procedures.