Preliminary Planning Meeting for Emergency Management Exercise
Date: (18-09-2024)
A crucial step in preparation for the upcoming Bulgaria 25 Emergency Management Exercise was completed as the Preliminary Planning Meeting took place from 16 to 18 September 2024. The event, co-organized by NATO’s Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC) and the Bulgarian Ministry of Internal Affairs, was held at the Crisis Management and Disaster Response Centre of Excellence (CMDR COE) in Sofia.
The meeting brought together a large number of experts. The CMDR COE is renowned for its expertise in crisis management and disaster response training, making it an ideal location for this preparatory meeting. Participants engaged in in-depth discussions about the upcoming exercise, focusing on strategic coordination, logistical considerations, and scenario development. The centre’s state-of-the-art facilities and extensive experience were instrumental in facilitating the strategic discussions necessary for the success of Bulgaria 25.
The Bulgaria 25 exercise is part of a broader initiative aimed at enhancing preparedness and cooperation between NATO allies and partners in response to natural and man-made disasters. It will provide a platform for testing multinational response capabilities and improving coordination in disaster response efforts.
As part of the planning activities, participants also visited the future exercise location in the vicinity of Montana, where the large-scale field exercise will take place in 2025. This visit allowed planners to familiarize themselves with the terrain and infrastructure, ensuring a comprehensive and realistic training scenario for all participants.
The exercise underscores the commitment of NATO and Bulgaria to strengthening disaster response capabilities, enhancing readiness, and fostering international cooperation in the face of potential emergencies.
News
The initial planning conference for the distributed computer assisted exercise South Eastern Europe Simulation Network (SEESIM 14) was held in Zagreb, Croatia. The Republic of Bulgaria is co-organizer and participates actively in the conducting of the exercise together with the Host Nation. Among the participants are also representatives of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Montenegro, Romania, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, United States of America and the SEEBRIG.
The exercise is held under the auspices of the Ministers of Defence of the SEE Nations.
» read more
- In 3-7 of February experts from the CMDR COE team will take part in the Final Planning Conference of the SABER GUARDIAN ′14 Exercise, organized by the US EUCOM and BGR LANDFORCE.
The purpose of the exercise is to train and educate civilian and military participants in planning and conducting an UN mandated Chapter VII Peace Operation/Crisis Response Operation, based on a Comprehensive Approach, and focusing on co-operation and co-ordination within an unstable environment, involving all stakeholders. The principal exercise focus is the civilian-military cooperation and coordination. The scenario supports exercising a wide range of peace operations functions (e.g. rule of law, humanitarian, etc.). The CMDR COE will contribute to achieving the exercise objectives by providing subject matter expert support in the CMDR area and by organizing distributed point for White cell.
- In 11-13 February 2014 the Civil-Military Interaction: Disaster Preparedness and Response Workshop will take place in Sofia. The workshop is sponsored by the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Bulgaria and the CMDR COE. The workshop comprises lectures dedicated to NATO and EU Crisis Management, role of military in civil security, risk management, as well as discussions and tabletop exercise.
The CMDR COE organised an internal seminar which was held on 20.12.2013. The main focus of the seminar was the crisis in Syria. The CMDR COE experts discussed issued related to the chronology of the crisis; the increased influx of refugees to neighbouring countries and Bulgaria; the positions of NATO, the UN and EU; the involvement of international humanitarian organisations etc.
» read moreOn 11-12 December 2013, the Crisis Management and Disaster Response Centre of Excellence (CMDR COE) co-hosted together with US European Command (USEUCOM) and the US embassy in Bulgaria the workshop Visualizing Implications of Climate Change on Military Activities and Relationships. The opening remarks were given by the Deputy Minister of Defence of Bulgaria, Mr. Ivan Ivanov, who welcomed the participants and underlined the importance of the topics that the workshop focused on.
» read more