Category: Projects

Professional Dialogue Exercise PDEX-JIP (LAYMAN REPORT 3)

MARCH 2023 – LAYMAN REPORT 3

Project Fact Sheet

Project number: P101048587
Project name: Professional Dialogue Exercises – Jordan Israel Palestine
Project acronym: PDEX-JIP
Call: UCPM-2021-EX
Topic: UCPM-2021-INT
Type of action: UCPM Project Grants
Granting authority: European Commission-EU
Project Duration: 01/01/2022- 30/06/2023

Project Lead

European University Cyprus (EUC)

Project Partners

  1. D.M.A.T. Consulting KG (DMAT)
  2. Prepared International (PPI)
  3. Resilience Solutions International (RSI)
  4. Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe e.V. (JUH)
  5. Ministry of Interior Cyprus (CCD)
  6. Ministry of Foreign Affairs Cyprus (MFA)

Abstract

The overall aim of PDEX-JIP is to improve Civil Protection (CP) preparedness and response inside and outside the Member States of the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) by providing a testing environment and a learning opportunity for all actors involved in CP interventions.
The sub-region of Jordan, Israel and Palestine is a unique training environment of outermost interest for the UPCM.

PDEX-JIP Project will:

  • produce an assessment of the CP situation,
  • draft joint Standing Operating Procedures (SOPs) on parties’ request,
  • hold joint planning conferences,
  • implement a Table-Top Exercise (TTX) training Host Nation Support (HNS) in a specific environment,
  • perform a Joint Full-Scale Exercise (FSX),
  • provide an Evaluation that includes a Lessons Learned (LL) process and recommendations for the Way ahead,
  • provide the sub-region with HNS-guidelines considering the specific response environment.

The project is designed to achieve overall strengthening of disaster preparedness in the JIP region while increasing interoperability and HNS measures for international and regional disaster response.

Goals/Objectives

  • Analyse the CP situation in the JIP region,
  • Conduct joint planning with JIP partners
  • Develop a joint SOP for international disaster response,
  • Prepare and conduct one HNS TTX
  • Prepare and conduct one joint FSX,
  • Conduct an evaluation of the current state of affairs in the region
  • Conclude with a LL procedure and recommend a way ahead for the JIP region.

Expected Results

  • Enable the response to a large-scale disaster in the region by creating interoperability between all involved actors
  • Enable support to vulnerable groups, Common SOP
  • Prepare and conduct one joint FSX,
  • Adaptation of disaster response plans,
  • Develop specific HNS guidelines

Kick Off Meeting 01.02.2022

The kick off meeting took place on Tuesday the 1st of February 2022, in Brussels, Belgium. Mr. Evangelos Katsaros, of the coordinating team, CERIDES and as the Research Associate, and Manager of the project, physically attended the meeting and presented the planned activities to the DG-ECHO Officers. Representatives from all consortium partners attended the meeting in virtual mode.

Hybrid Meeting 29-30.05.2022

A hybrid meeting took place in Tel Aviv and Ramallah between 29 and 30 May 2022. The 3 countries in their delegations included representatives from their Civil Protection National Authorities and various other services that will be instrumental for the Full Scale Exercise. The meeting took place in a really positive atmosphere and various details were discussed about the TTX Table Top Exercise that will take place in November and in particular about the SOP Standard
Operating Procedures during the exercise.

Main Planning Conference, Cyprus 2-3.11.2022

A historical meeting for the JIP region took place in Cyprus, in November 2022 with all the consortium participating but also JIP Delegations Attending; specifically Jordanian Delegation – National Center for Security and Crisis Management (NCSCM), Jordanian Civil Defense (JCD); Israeli Delegation – National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA), Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), and Military Liaison Office; Palestinian Delegation – Palestinian Civil Defense (PCD), Civil Affairs, Metrology, MOFA, and Military Liaison Office. From the United Nations: UNOCHA Jordan (regional JIP Professional Dialogue Project Coordinator, as well as conference facilitator), UNOCHA oPt, UNOCHA Emergency Response Section from Geneva.

Achievements of the Main Planning Conference (1/3)

As the JIP has worked successfully on the technical elements of a Flood Early Warning System there could also be in the future joint work on an Earthquake Early Warning Systems (EEWS). The Palestinian Civil Defence (hereinafter, PCD) conveyed the need to enhance their capabilities, access equipment, and develop search and rescue teams to ensure response success. PCD specified that they do not have the trucks, equipment, and warehousing to respond to natural disasters. As such, preparedness at the regional level is required in order to respond to all types of natural disasters and risks, in addition to receiving humanitarian assistance from international donors. Specific request also to develop the internal capacities of the PCD both in term of equipment and training.Jordan’s Civil Defence (hereinafter, JCD) and the National Center for Security and Crisis Management (hereinafter, NCSCM) agreed that common
understanding and proper terminology must be established to unify response efforts moving forward. JCD suggested that JIP could evolve to include new technical spheres, some work on which has been done bilaterally between Jordan and Israel already, as well as combating varying risks collectively by means of joint field work, risk assessments,
and continued coordination.

Achievements of the Main Planning Conference (2/3)

JIP delegations discussed key stakeholders’ services and infrastructure to be engaged in FSX, including the Current Status Exercise Logistics and Host Nation Support, incoming teams, EXCON, EUCPT, observers and VIP programme INSARAG cooperation.

Regarding the TTX Structure of the scenario, NEMA informed that their training audience will try to include 20 different organizations and ministries in Israel depending on the finalization of the scenario, and Jordan will have at least 36; the Palestinian Delegation likewise confirmed serious inter-ministerial commitment. OCHA added that there
are seven (7) INSARAG teams an hour flight away in the case of international assistance.

The coordinator, European University of Cyprus (CERIDES) introduced the evaluation of FSX Exercise and the awareness campaign that serve the purpose of facilitating improvement, including test response procedures, and providing practice for participants.

Achievements of the Main Planning Conference (3/3)

JIP delegations commenced with the revised trilateral understanding draft to establish the operationalization framework for collective response. NEMA indicated that the trilateral understanding is a milestone, and commended PCD for their pen-holding role in drafting the trilaterally agreed guiding principles elements.

JIP delegations will review the document language ensuring full coherence of language with INSARAG guidelines to ensure full clarity.

The JIP delegations and Consortium discussed the objectives of the TTX. Its aim is to conduct a discussion-based exercise, in which the planned FSX scenario will be simulated and discussed, in addition to all relevant existing plans, documents, maps, guidelines etc. can be used and elaborated on, as well as possible problems and connected solutions identified for an efficient and simulated FSX.

Table Top Exercise parallel in Jordan, Israel and Palestine 08-09.01.2023

The aim of the TTX was to conduct a discussion-based exercise, in which the planned FSX scenario was simulated and discussed. All relevant existing plans, documents, maps, guidelines etc. were used and elaborated on, possible problems and connected solutions were identified and at the end the ground for an efficient simulated FSX was set. Consortium experts facilitated the TTX in all three areas (Amman, Ramallah, Tel Aviv) familiarizing all beneficiaries with
International Assistance Procedures.

Table Top Exercise Jordan

Jordan has not been severely affected by the earthquake and simulated efforts to fully support Israel and Palestinian Authority cope with disaster impacts. Jordan will facilitate international assistance reach areas in need. Actual testing will take place during Full Scale Exercise.

Table Top Exercise Israel

Israel simulated both earthquake management within its territory, as well as the procedures for requesting, receiving and distributing international assistance in hit areas. The process of finding solutions under pressure for optimizing cooperation with Jordan and Palestine Authority in case of a big earthquake has been tested.

Table Top Exercise Palestine

Palestine Authority simulated host of international assistance and support of local population the 1st critical hours of a devastating earthquake.

Final Planning Meeting, Tel Aviv, 6-7.02.2023

The Final Planning Meeting took place on 06th-07th of February 2023 in a hybrid way in Tel Aviv. Τhe objectives accomplished were:

  • Discussion of the outcomes and lessons from the TTX in their relevance for the FSX, inter alia the evaluation of the guidelines
  • Finalization of the planning for the FSX, including the scenario and injects, including the deployment of field hospital
  • Discussion of logistical details and field visit of exercise sites
  • Discussion of Observer and VIP program for the exercise
  • Familiarization with the Evaluation Process of the FSX

Full Scale Exercise Israel, Palestine, Jordan, 12-16.03.2023

The Full Scale Exercise took place between 12th – 16th of March 2023 with a great success. It involved approximately
120 participants from 18 countries — Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Latvia, North Macedonia, Malta, Montenegro, Romania, Spain, Sweden, along with Israel — as well as the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism, DG ECHO representatives and the United Nations OCHA.

Media Coverage

Israël lance un exercice de quatre jours pour améliorer la préparation aux tremblements de terre i24NEWS 12 mars 2023 à 11:43 dernière modification 15 mars 2023 à 14:11

استعدادا لوقوع هزة أرضية في إسرائيل: التدريب على محاكاة وصول بعثات الإغاثة من كافة دول العالم

Israel begins drill simulating receipt of international earthquake aid

Final Step

Way Forward and Final Meeting Foreseen in Cyprus, 9th-11th of May 2023

Links: LAYMAN REPORT 3 as a PDF

International-European PlugIn Exercise 2022 INT-EU PIX 22

Project’s name:

International-European PlugIn Exercise 2022

Project start:

01.03.2022

Project duration:

24 Months
(in case of COVID-19 related delays – 36 Months)

the Project Coordinator:

the European University of Cyprus (EUC/CYP)

the Project Partners:

  1. Norwegian Directorate of Civil Protection (DSB/NOR),
  2. Resilience Solutions International (RSI/AUT),
  3. Prepared International UG (PPI/GER)
  4. D.M.A.T. Consulting KG (DMAT/AUT).

The Project tasks:

The task of the consortium is to implement a UCPM (EU Civil Protection Mechanism) support module in a planned large-scale exercise for disaster management.
In this project, a 3-day (24/7) plug-in exercise (PIX) is designed, planned, implemented and evaluated outside of Europe in a country with different emergency management structures (e.g. other structures, response mechanisms, culture and climate conditions).

Based on the European Commission’s final decision, the PIX will take place either in South Asia/Nepal involving Asian Disaster Preparedness Center/ADPC, or West Africa/Ghana or Cabo Verde involving Economic Community of West African States / ECOWAS, or East Africa /Djibouti involving Intergovernmental Authority on Development / IGAD.

The background of the plug-in exercise:

The UCPM is often activated for dealing with emergencies outside the European Union. Most of the UCPM exercises conducted to reflect this often use fictitious scenarios and artificial countries to simulate the response environment. Although these exercises are needed, they do not necessarily provide the true nature of real deployments. At the same time, disaster management exercises outside Europe take place worldwide every year. This could allow for opportunities to join, i.e. plug-in to, planned large-scale exercises involving a multi-organisation response by providing an EUCPT, modules and/or other response capacities.

The overall objective of the Mechanism is to strengthen the cooperation among Member States in the field of civil protection for preventing, preparing for and responding to natural and man-made disasters. Any country in the world overwhelmed by a disaster can call on the Mechanism for support. By pooling the civil protection capabilities of the Member States, the Mechanism can ensure better protection primarily of people, but also of the natural and cultural environment and of property.

The Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) is the operational heart of the Mechanism. It is operated by DG ECHO and is operational 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.

The project objectives:

  1. test and improve the coordination of the UCPM response assistance, and ultimately to establish a common understanding in major emergencies.
  2. improve interoperability, coordination, communication, reporting and logistical arrangements in civil protection assistance with the different response capacities, national authorities, local emergency management authorities, humanitarian actors and other agencies with a role in emergency response.
  3. improve the field cooperation between EUCPT and UNDAC.
  4. enhance the cooperation with the EU Delegation(s), DG ECHO Field Office and EU Member States embassies in the region or country affected.
  5. develop and implement a safety and security plan for an emergency response outside EU.
  6. strengthen the understanding of Host Nation Support and introduce the EU HNS guidelines

PDEX-JIP (UCPM-2021-EX)

Project’s Titel:

Professional Dialogue Exercises – Jordan Israel Palestine

Project start:

15.11.2021

Project duration:

18 months

Coordinator:

European University Cyprus (EUC)

Project’s Partners

  1. D.M.A.T. Consulting KG (DMAT)
  2. Prepared International (PPI)
  3. Resilience Solutions International (RSI)
  4. Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe e.V. (JUH)
  5. Ministry of Interior Cyprus (CCD)
  6. Ministry of Foreign Affairs Cyprus (MFA)

Project’s background

The project team for this exercise was requested by the three parties: Jordan, Israel, and Palestine (JIP). Parts of the team have a long-standing background with the Professional Dialogue project.

Mr. Beck was the founder and long-term project manager and mediator of the Professional Dialogue and, currently acting as a reference person for the countries. Mr. Hirschmugl & Mr. Beck were also involved in the UNDAC Disaster Response Preparedness mission to Palestine in 2014. This exercise project has been prepared from the JIP meeting 2019 in Austria onwards where DMAT Consulting KG (DMAT) and Prepared International (PPI) presented the lessons from all previous exercises that have taken place in the region.

The Jordanian, Israeli, and Palestinian emergency management frameworks provide a unique environment for disaster preparedness work. The range of risks and vulnerabilities coupled with the existing framework for response have the potential to cause the entire region to suffer severe impacts in case of a major disaster, such as a strong earthquake.

The project is designed to achieve overall strengthening of disaster preparedness in the JIP region while increasing interoperability and HNS measures for international and regional disaster response.

Aim of the Project

to improve civil protection (CP) preparedness and response inside and outside the Member States of the Mechanism by providing a testing environment and a learning opportunity for all actors involved in CP interventions.

The consortium will:

  1. produce an assessment of the CP situation,
  2. draft joint Standing Operating Procedures on parties’ request (SOPs),
  3. hold joint planning conferences,
  4. implement a Table-Top Exercise (TTX) training Host Nation Support (HNS) in a specific environment,
  5. perform a Joint Full-Scale Exercise (FSX),
  6. provide an Evaluation that includes a Lessons Learned (LL) process and recommendations for the Way ahead,
  7. provide the sub-region with HNS-guidelines considering the specific response environment.

Project’s Objectives:

  1. analyse the CP situation in the JIP region,
  2. conduct joint planning with JIP partners,
  3. develop a joint SOP for international disaster response,
  4. prepare and conduct one HNS TTX,
  5. prepare and conduct one joint FSX,
  6. conduct an evaluation of the current situation in the region
  7. conclude with a LL procedure and recommend a way ahead for the JIP region

 

The Project’s Exercises:

PDEX-JIP – Tabletop Exercise (TTX)

The aim of the TTX is to conduct a discussion-based exercise, in which the planned FSX scenario will be simulated and discussed. All relevant existing plans, documents, maps, guidelines etc. can be used and discussed, possible problems and connected solutions identified and at the end the ground for an efficient simulated FSX should be set.

Objectives of this exercise:

  1. Discuss the possible FSX scenario – Earthquake and cascading effects, including outbreak of a pandemic and lock down during the exercise
  2. Discuss the activation of the EUCPM (Alert, requesting and offering relief teams and relief goods)
  3. Discuss EU HNS Guidelines – procedures of sending states, transiting states and hosting/receiving states – what changes in a pandemic environment – for the guidelines. Discuss and confirm the SOPs developed by the project.
  4. Discuss cooperation with Local Emergency Management Agency/LEMA, EU Delegation on site, UN OCHA ERCC and EU ERCC, UN Resident Coordinator, UNDAC, etc.
  5. Discuss involvement and cooperation of UNHAS/WFP,
  6. Discuss activation and support by Copernicus and UNITAR/UNOSAT
  7. Strategize on supporting most vulnerable groups
  8. Identification of cascading effects and particularities in urban areas
  9. Discuss involvement of modules, ECPP and RescEU in such a disaster
  10. Discuss an exit strategy and hand over / Take over procedures for mission end
  11. Discuss trilateral cooperation of JIP

 

Joint Full-Scale Exercise (FSX)

Aim of this exercise: to conduct an operations-based exercise with deployment and field response to JIP as the affected countries. The scenario is the further developed TTX scenario with all recommendations included. All existing procedures due to a real mission situation will be tested in the field with involvement of a variety of organisations and agencies which one will meet in the field. All real mission activities of UCP will be included in a 12 hrs -per day exercise (minimum 36 hours’ total time) under stressful conditions and time pressure.

Objectives of this exercise:

  1. Exercise a possible FSX scenario – Earthquake and cascading effects, including outbreak of a pandemic and lock down in the field and test specific SOPs for support between JIP entities, specific focus on most vulnerable groups
  2. Activate the EUCPM (Alert, requesting and offering relief teams and relief goods) and deploy an EUCPT on site
  3. Deploy teams from the neighbourhood to support in the first hours after the event
  4. Deploy an EUCPT, TAST, EU modules, teams from ECCP or RescEU (3-4 Skeleton teams or other capacities) to JIP
  5. Test all relevant procedures like the EU HNS Guidelines – information sharing procedures, procedures for assessments and coordination, meetings, incoming relief goods etc.
  6. Experience the cooperation with LEMA, EU Delegation on site, UN OCHA ERCC and EU ERCC, UN Resident Coordinator, UNDAC, etc. in real
  7. Involve other relevant organisations like UNHAS/WFP,
  8. Experience activation and support by Copernicus and UNITAR/UNOSAT
  9. Prepare an exit strategy and hand over / Take over procedures for mission end
  10. Experience trilateral cooperation of JIP

SecureGas Project – H2020 FINAL VIDEO INTERVIEW

SecureGas has started on June 2019, 30 Months of dedication and hard work is now coming to an end.
SecureGas is a Research Project in the EU Framework Program H2020 for Research and Innovation, aiming to strengthen the security and resilience of the European Gas Network, by taking into account physical and cyber threats.
SecureGas Project – H2020 FINAL VIDEO INTERVIEW is now online!
This Video summarizes the whole project in 10 minutes mentioning the challenges faced during these three years of the project and the important results achieved with a final reflection on the future.

Please click below for more information about SecureGas Project

SecureGas Webpage
SecureGas Newsletter and Reports
SecureGas Information from the EU

you can always follow SecureGas on it’s Social Media accounts:

Twitter:   @secure_gas
Linkedin: @SecureGas
Youtube:  SecureGas H2020 Project

Invitation to participate on Wednesday 3rd November 2021

Webinar “Seismic Risk and Civil Protection in the Middle East and beyond”

Organized by the platform for knowledge partnership in the field of civil protection in the Middle East as part of the EU-funded project “HEUREKA”.

Date:

Wednesday 3rd November 2021

Language:

English Time: 11:00 am – 12:45 pm ET

Location:

ZOOM

Participants:

All project partners, regional HEUREKA stakeholders & civil protection community

Online via Zoom:

https://najah.zoom.us/j/93243638837?pwd=V0RZUG5yR2VhL1BURFptOEpiVHBIQT09#success

 

All further information including the agenda can be found here

SecureGas Final Conference “The 3S Clustering Event”

The 3S Clustering Event (SATIE, SAFECARE, SecureGas):

is organized by the community of three H2020 Security R&D projects and takes place on Crete (Greece). The event is combined with SATIE´s Final Conference and SecureGas’s Final Conference.

Related Projects:

SATIE, SAFECARE and SecureGas are three EU funded projects, related to critical infrastructure protection, and more specifically cyber and physical security of airport, hospital and natural gas infrastructures. 

Date and time:

Tue, Oct 12, 2021, 9:00 AM – Wed, Oct 13, 2021, 3:00 PM EEST

Main Thematic Subjects :

  • Protection of Critical Infrastructure
  • Cyber and Digital Security
  • Cyber-physical Security
  • Risk Assessment

About the Conference:

The conference will showcase the key areas in cyber- and physical security which have been investigated by the three participating projects. The agenda addresses the following key processes preparedness/early warning, detection and mitigation/response, which are identified as the key ones for the protection of Critical Infrastructures in aviation, energy and healthcare industries. During this event you will have the opportunity to find out how three different projects (SATIE, SAFECARE and SecureGas) – which are in the forefront of research and innovation for protection of Critical Infrastructures – are addressing those issues.

Please Register: Here

 

 

SecureGas fourth Newsletter

The fourth issue of Horizon 2020 SecureGas Project is now available online.

In this issue you will read about the:

  • Project overview
  • Second SecureGas Stakeholder Workshop
  • Demonstration and validation activities in the SecureGas Business Cases.

All this and more you can find it online to read and to download. The link is below :

“SecureGas Newsletter n.4 – July 2021“

 

you can always follow SecureGas on it’s Social Media accounts:

Twitter:   @secure_gas
Linkedin: @SecureGas
Youtube:  SecureGas H2020 Project

ResponSEE Table Top Exercise (TTX) 06-07.July.2021

The first Exercise of ResponSEE Project was successfully designed, planned and conducted to strengthen disaster preparedness in South East Europe. The two-days virtual Table Top Exercise (TTX) were held on the 6th and 7th of July using a contemporary co-working Platform to connect all the Participants to each other in spontaneous and fluid way.

The participants were 44 members from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro characterizing national and international authorities along with NGOs.

The exercise scenario on the first day was presented as a breaking News Video about the Earthquake in Bosnia and Herzegovina to start the day and get all participants to simulate the Exercises in real life. To see the full News Flash about the Earthquake for the exercise start, please click the link below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zd7zrLzGnnk

(ResponSEE project is funded by the European Union)

The Table Top Exercise is completed with many lessons learned and we are looking forward to the upcoming two exercises:

  • Command Post Exercise (CPX) – November 2021
  • Full Scale Exercise (FSX) – April 2022

44 Participants were joining the first day of ResponSEE Project ( Table Top Exercise)

SecureGas “Extended Components” Part 7

SecureGas EUproject explains their “Extended Components”

they are products and technologies brought into the project by qualified partners.
One weekly video to present and explain in detail:

  • description
  • objectives
  • use in the project of all SecureGas extended components

In this video RINA speaks about: “Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) for monitoring of leakages and third party intrusion in Oil & Gas pipelines”

 

SecureGas “Extended Components” Part 6

The sixth Video of “SecureGas extended Components” is presented to you by and it is about:

“Cognitive framework for biometrics and video analytics”.

 

These components have been “extended” – that is improved and integrated – to meet the needs of end users, addressing and solving the proposed business cases scenarios, adopting the most innovative technological solutions, without forgetting cost control and an easy and scalable deployment.

 

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