The seminar was hosted by the Sector for Emergency Management of the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Serbia within the Disaster Management Training Programme of the Disaster Preparedness and Prevention Initiative for South East Europe (DPPI SEE) as a Serbian contribution to the Programme for the year 2014.
The aim of the seminar was to share experiences and good practices, as well as to develop discussion during the seminar on aforementioned topic between representatives and experts from the DPPI SEE member countries with experiences in interventions caused by traffic and railway accidents.
Total number of participants at the seminar was 48; thereof 33 members of the Sector for Emergency Management accompanied by participants from Bosnia and Herzegovina (2), Bulgaria (2), Croatia (2), Macedonia (2), Slovenia (2), Montenegro (2), Medical emergency service (2) and Head of DPPI SEE Secretariat.
Based on the stated experiences the participants of the seminar have identified the basic problems and areas in need of improvement, similar to the whole region. The following is an excerpt from the list of identified areas:
- Establishing of new procedures, revision and annex of the existing ones
- Adjustment of the procedures in the region in accordance with European standards
- The necessity to equipping the units with adequate equipment, especially tools with stronger cutting power
- Improving coordination in joint action of all services, during mass disasters
- Better communication and compatible communications system
- Integration with the 112 System centers
- Strengthening operational headquarters, as well as the procedures for mass casualty accidents management
- Security of rescuers
- Increasing the capacity of medical facilities related to triage, transport of the injured, marking of injured people (cards), development of databases, with an increased capacity of medical facilities
- The engagement of international specialized teams
- Defining responsibilities
- Developing operational maps of the railway network, particularly for inaccessible entrances, tunnels, bridges and viaducts
- Relations with the media
- Psychological support to injured and rescuers
- The need for modern specialist training
- Preparation of detailed expert analysis of mass casualty events
- Exchanging experiences and raise knowledge and skills at seminars, workshops and exercises
The seminar provided a unique opportunity for the government officials and experts from relevant Services for Civil Protection and Emergency Management and Red Cross to share knowledge and experience and to discuss good practices in drafting procedures for conducting the evacuation of people and animals, and therefore improve national ability to effectively respond to emergency situations of the kind.
