2016

Civil Protection Training is Held in Jaunjelgava Municipality Forests

Missing people search and rescue operations in LVM Vidusdaugava Region from October 23 till 24 opened the practical part of the civil protection training “Stormex 2016”, which will take place all over Latvia until October 26.

The scenario of the civil protection training is based on a situation when a hurricane reaching wind force of 42-48 m/s moves over the territory of Latvia, as a result of which the country has suffered infrastructure damage, electrical power failure, disrupted access to services (for example, water supply, heat supply).

The training scenario foresees the following problems to be solved: there is a missing fishing vessel in the Gulf of Riga, buildings collapse in Riga, hazardous chemicals leaks are found in Daugavpils, and people have got lost in woods of Jaunjelgava Municipality.

Representatives of the Latvian Scout and Guide Central Organisation played the roles of the missing people. More than 160 representatives of the State police, State Border Guard college, and State Fire and Rescue Service of Latvia were involved in the search and rescue operations. They were supported by Jaunjelgava Municipality and local National Guard 55th Infantry Battalion. Also aircraft and cynologists from the State Border Guard took part in the search operations.

From October 21 till October 26, integrated national civil protection training “Stormex 2016” will take place throughout Latvia. Using different scenarios, readiness, cooperation and disaster response capacity of national and local government institutions, operational services, and other organizations involved will be tested. Civil protection training at such level and scope will be held in Latvia for the first time. Training objective: to test capacity and cooperation of organizations and institutions involved in disaster management in the event of a national disaster. Readiness of the involved institutions will be tested according to the set measures of the national civil protection plan. Altogether 15 different practical and theoretical risk episodes will be carried out in the training, involving more than 50 state authorities, municipalities or other institutions.