The third Modules Table-Top Exercise of the EU MODEX Cycle 12 took place from 22nd to 26th February 2025 in Germany. The scenario which was exercised was an earthquake in a fictional country based on the Germany state of Lower Saxony. A total of 31 participants (20 Modules, 8 EUCPT, 1 UNDAC and 2 TAST) took part in the exercise.
The third Modules Table-Top Exercise (ModTTX3) took place from 22nd to 26th February 2025 in Hannover, Germany. It was conducted at the THW Local Section Hannover/Langenhagen and emphasized an earthquake scenario located in a fictional country outside-the-EU.
There were 31 participants from 14 different countries comprising of ten Modules Key Personnel teams, an EUCP Team including a TAST and an UNDAC expert who took part in this exercise. Including Exercise Control (EXCON), certifiers, trainers, role players and support staff, about 88 persons were involved in the exercise.
It was hosted by the German Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW-DE), in cooperation with the rest of the consortium, formed of the Escola Nacional de Bombeiros (ENB-PT), the Federal Public Service Home Affairs – Directorate-General for Civil Protection (DGCP-BE), the Administration of the Republic of Slovenia for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief (URSZR-SI), and the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia (MUP).
The Modules present were Air Operations Support Capacity from Belgium, SET from Croatia, MEVAC from Romania, EMT type 1 from Germany and Norway, Cave SAR from Croatia, Mountain SAR from Spain, USAR teams from Georgia, Ukraine, and Germany.
During the exercise the participants had the opportunity to coordinate and conduct a real VIP visit as part of the scenario. The Minister of the Interior of the German State of Lower Saxony, Daniela Behrens, joined in on one of the exercise days and received a briefing by the modules and EUCPT on the current situation, as well as received an overview on the available capacities that were supporting the disaster areas (in the exercise scenario).
The scenario was a severe earthquake (6.9 on the Richter Scale) near Hannover, affecting major parts of the city and surrounding areas. In this scenario, the disaster was located in the fictional county of “Nivaria” based on the German state of Lower Saxony. Hannover, the capital of the state, was thus the capital of “Nivaria”. The epicenter was located in Burgdorf, approximately 15 km northwest of Hannover, at a depth of 16 km. The shockwaves and tectonic movements caused by the earthquake significantly affected the surrounding areas, including the Hannover region. Due to the timing of the quake on a Saturday morning, many people were at home, amplifying the impact. Additionally, the seismic waves and the effects on the rock formations also severely affected the North-West Harz region, further extending the earthquake’s influence across a broad area, leading the local government to request international assistance through the UCPM.
