Accidents, crises and natural disasters can have serious consequences for society. It is essential that the emergency authorities are ready to respond to crises in the most appropriate way possible, so that lives can be saved and damage to nature and property reduced. In order for emergency personnel and authorities to react quickly and in a coordinated manner when a crisis occurs, they need to practice.
European exercises
Conducting exercises is essential to prepare emergency response teams for the work they will perform in a crisis. Exercises at European level, involving several countries at the same time, increase the opportunities to give and receive international assistance and strengthen cooperation between emergency authorities across borders.
More about exercises: Civil Protection Exercises (European Commission)
Norway can participate in several types of European exercises:
- Full-scale exercises are organised by the countries' emergency authorities and funded by the EU.
- Modules field exercises that give countries in Europe the opportunity to test selected capacities, teams and equipment to check their coordination ability, self-sufficiency, procedures and characteristics.
- Table-top exercises that focus on specific training of key people.
The European Commission's Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO) finances a number of emergency preparedness exercises each year.
- 2023: Arctic REIHN
- 2017: Scope
- 2016: Triplex
- 2015: HarbourEx15
- 2011: SkagEx11