ResponSEE exercise tests emergency capacity in BiH
The ResponSEE full-scale exercise took place in Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina, BiH) from 27 to 29 April 2022.
The exercise tested national procedures and capacities in case of a large-scale emergency requiring Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) activation and deployment of international teams.
The EU-funded ResponSEE project, which ran the exercise, aims to strengthen disaster preparedness in the Western Balkans and increase interoperability between disaster response capacities and procedures.
The project also works to enable international cooperation on disaster response and bring Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina closer to the UCPM.
The ResponSEE full-scale exercise was based on a full mission cycle for national and international response to a major earthquake (and cascading effects) taking place during a pandemic.It involved an EU Civil Protection Team, a Liaison Officer from the Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC), members of the UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) Team, as well as urban search and rescue, firefighting, mountain rescue, water purification, medical response, and dog handling teams from BiH, Albania, Austria, Montenegro, Romania, and Slovenia.
©ResponSEE/Vanessa Scheiner/ Sebastian Hirschmugl
Bringing Bosnia and Herzegovina closer to the UCPM
“I fully support Bosnia and Herzegovina’s request to join the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. I am confident that becoming a member of our European civil protection framework will ensure Bosnia and Herzegovina benefit from stronger crisis response whenever large-scale crises strike. Together, we can protect and save lives.”
In total, 11 national and eight international teams, as well as several NGOs and international organisations (the UN Resident Coordinators Office, UNDP, EU Delegation, OSCE, World Vision, Save the Children, NATO, UNESCO and Blue Shield), took part, along with other entities. Mirnesa Softic, the UCPM National Exercise Coordinator for Bosnia and Herzegovina, spoke about what this exercise represents for the country in taking its final steps towards becoming a Participating State in the UCPM:
“The ResponSEE exercise is a continuation of Bosnia and Herzegovina 's commitment to joining the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. Civil Protection agencies from all levels of our government have showcased the skills and coordination in navigating some of the most complex natural disasters.”