The Slovenian High Capacity Pumping module (SI-HCP) from the Administration for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief (ACPDR) successfully completed its certification process by participating in an EU MODEX field exercise in Timisoara, Romania from 20-23 October 2021. We interviewed Deputy Team Leader of the SI-HCP Matjaž Domijan, who is also responsible for the UCPM adaptation grant that supported
The ECPP certification process helped us - through its three step process - to verify that our procedures, operational capacity and self-sufficiency adhere to the legislative standards that are needed. In addition, it encouraged constant improvement of the capacity’s performance. I believe that the commitment to the Pool and the certification process bring a sense of responsibility and confidence to the team and a degree of predictability in an otherwise unpredictable working environment.
Given the increase of severe weather events and the limits of national response in overwhelming emergencies, it is good to know that we can rely on European solidarity that is predictable and able to integrate quickly and efficiently into the national response – this for me is the essence of the ECPP.
I really hope that the adaptation grant we implemented (International Deployment Adaptation Project - IDAP) is a “textbook” case for adapting national response capacities to perform adequately in an international environment. The project was designed around gaps identified in previous deployments and exercises, alongside recommendations and lessons learnt from the Slovenian Cave Search and Rescue (SI Cave SAR) certification and adaptation process.
The Slovenian High Capacity Pumping (IDAP) project complemented a national project to strengthen HCP units from seven of the most flood-prone regions of Slovenia. This gave us the building blocks for the operational component of the SI HCP module, formed by joining any two of the regional HCP units.
The project addressed the gaps in personal protective equipment, unit rescue equipment, transportation and ICT equipment in order to ensure a full compliance with Article 12 of UCPM legislation (self-sufficiency of modules) as well as to train the operational roster personal to perform efficiently in an international environment. The module concept allows for various scenarios, including the deployment of the capacity if part of the regional HCP units were engaged at home. The motivation and the performance of the module would not be on the same level if we had not implemented the adaptation grant.
To add to this, I would like to highlight that some of the equipment procured has already supported UCPM operations, such as the delivery of assistance to Croatia after the earthquake in December 2020 and combating forest fires in North Macedonia in August 2021. Some of the items procured are also supporting the national COVID19 response operation.
I believe that it was a good decision to keep the exercise despite COVID-19, as we already had several quite difficult UCPM deployments in a COVID-19 context before the re-start of the exercise cycle. I think that the sanitary situation does bring additional difficulties to a mission or an exercise, but this is the reality. This experience confirmed the need for a solid contingency plan and the means to implement it. I believe that the EU MODEX exercise in Romania gave us an insight into gaps that we would wish to address in the future.
UCPM certification allows modules, Technical Assistance and Support Teams (TAST) and other response capacities to test and improve their team skills and capabilities to reach the high quality international standards that enable them to register in the European Civil Protection Pool (ECPP). This includes resources pre-committed to the UCPM by the Member States and Participating States to react rapidly and in a predictable manner when a disaster strikes. It exemplifies EU solidarity in action.
The certification process has three complementary steps: a consultative visit, a table-top exercise and a final certifying field exercise (the third step can be waived for some specific categories of modules).
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