More than 30 members of the Cross-border Protection and Rescue team and other members of the emergency services passed 5 two-day training sessions in the period from June to November 2023. Training sessions were organised within the project “Increasing Capacities to Prevent, Prepare and Respond to Disasters – Resilient Border”, financed by the European Union.
The final training module was held in Grude in the period from 26 till 29 November 2023 at the polygon for emergency services, which was built and equipped through this project. The training sessions also served to familiarize the team members with the proper handling of equipment and tools that were acquired through the Resilient Border project, which includes a total of 94 sets of personal equipment and tools, and two vehicles.
Bojan Subotić, Herceg Novi (MNE), member of the cross-border team: „Such trainings and joint exercises mean a lot to us, and through them we have established cross-border cooperation with the aim of joint response in the event of disasters.“
Željko Madžar, from Ljubuški (BiH), who is also a member of the cross-border team, said that the trainings were very useful and that they upgraded existing knowledge, and that he hopes for further cooperation.
The purpose of the conducted training modules was to strengthen the capacity of emergency services for protection and rescue, mutual connection and development of partnership among members of the cross-border team, as well as the exchange of experiences.
They were conducted through theoretical and practical learning units on different topics such as rescue from ruins, heights and depths; the use of drones, thermographic cameras and hydraulic tools in emergency situations; and methods for extinguishing fires in vehicles.
The aforementioned training modules were conducted through theoretical and practical units with different topics such as rescue from ruins, rescue from heights and from depths, the use of drones in emergency situations and thermography, the use of hydraulic tools and the specifics of extinguishing personal vehicles.
„Thanks to the European Union, which finances this project, we have established a partnership with the Municipality of Herceg Novi, which manifests itself through the establishment of a joint cross-border team for action in the event of major disasters, the training of which we have just completed, but also through the cooperation of the local communities themselves, which has already resulted in the registration of new projects in the field of disaster risk management,“ said Radoslav Luburić, project manager.
The project titled ‘Increasing Capacities to Prevent, Prepare and Respond to Disasters – Resilient Border’ is financed by the European Union within the IPA II CBC programme Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro. The total value of the project is over € 586 000, out of which the EU contributed almost € 500 000. The project partners, the Development Agency of the West Herzegovina Canton – HERAG (BA), the Civil Protection Administration of the West Herzegovina Canton (BA) and the Municipality of Herceg Novi (ME), provided the necessary co-financing. The period of implementation of the project will last 24 months starting from 1 March 2022.
Source: IPA II CBC programme Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro website