DPPI SEE Secretariat at the EU BALANCE field exercise in Kotor, Montenegro

Upon the invitation of the Protection and Rescue Directorate of Montenegro, Head of Secretariat at DPPI SEE participated at the EU BALANCE field exercise as lead trainer. Together with the Head of Secretariat the exercise was also supported by the Finance/Admin assistant and the two interns from Lund University – Masters program of disaster risk management and climate change adaptation, Spilios Iliopoulos and Tjorben Niklas Zenker.  The exercise was used to test Host Nation Support elements during a massive earthquake. International teams present together with the EUCPT and the national response dealt with USAR operations, first medical aid and medical transportation, firefighting operations, protection of cultural heritage and also applied rescue procedures including vulnerable groups. This was the final event of the EU BALANCE project and we are looking forward to the lessons learned event that will follow. Head of Secretariat also gave a statement to the national TV emphasizing the importance of the event and the preparations needed to host such an exercise.