CMDR COE Successfully Conducted Interagency Interaction Seminar
Date: (09-06-2015)
The CMDR COE has carried out its third annual Interagency Interaction Seminar at Boyana Residence, Sofia, Bulgaria in the period 8-9 JUN 2015.
The keynote speakers of the seminar were Mr. Dimitar Kyumyurdzhiev – Deputy Minister of Defence, Mr. Guenter Bretschneider - Head of the CEPOS, IS, NATO HQ, RADM Chris Sadler - Reserve Deputy Director, Maritime Operations U.S. Fleet Forces Command and Col Vassil ROUSSINOV – CMDR COE Director.
The CMDR Interagency Interaction Seminar is an annual event which gathers subject matter experts, researchers and educators, planners and developers, consultants and various actors working in the crisis management and disaster response domain in order to promote a lively debate on these issues. This year, more than 90 representatives of a total of 19 NATO and PfP nations took part in the annual seminar.
Contributions have been sought from people active in any relevant field, and the seminar will be focused on key aspects, such as:
Crisis Management and Disaster Response Policies and Interactions; Future Operations In Urban Environment; Best Practices in CMDR Education and Training.
As the CMDR COE Director Col Vassil Roussinov told in his address to the participants, the recurring keywords in all presentations which serve as a basis for further discussion are: interaction, cooperation and coordination.
The seminar was held in three plenary sessions.
First plenary session: CMDR POLICIES AND INTERACTIONS
Colonel Katarina Štrbac, PhD (MOD Serbia), presented "Redefining the Role of Humanitarian Organizations in Taking Care of Civilians during Emergencies".
Next, a presentation on the Conceptual Model of Information System for Expert Earthquake Risk Estimation for The Bulgarian Territory Using GIS Environment – Building Relevant Data Sets was carried out. The presentation was prepared by a team of experts, namely M. Kouteva, T. Bandrova, S. Marinova, St. Bonchev - University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy (UACEG); L. Pashova – National Institute of Geophysics, Geodesy and Geography, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (NIGGG - BAS); M. Markov – Military Geographic Service, Ministry of Defense (MGS, MD).
Mr. Yordan Georgiev and Mr. Bojan Pavlov from AvioTech Consult Ltd discussed the Terms of Reference for CMDR Legislative Base Amendments.
Second plenary session: BEST PRACTICES IN CMDR EDUCATION AND TRAINING
The second plenary session began with a presentation on the Military Medical Detachment for Emergency Response – Tool for Disaster Medical Education and Interaction prepared by Col Dr Rostislav Kostadinov, MD, PhD, Col (ret) Dr Alexander Dimitrov, MD, PhD.
Prof. Ximena JIMENEZ BS,MA, MSC discussed the Gender Dimension in Crisis Management and Disaster Response.
She was followed by Teresa Encarnação from OCHA/CMCS who delivered her presentation regarding The After Action Review on the Humanitarian-Military/Police Coordination and the Use of Foreign Military Assets in Response to Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda, Philippines by VTC/Webex.
Mr. Nikolay Tomov from Synergy Horizons Ltd. presented the Advanced Simulation Technologies for CMDR Training. He was followed by Mr. Hans ten Bergen from MASA Group Sciences (IICT-BAS) who elaborated on the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Disaster Risk Reduction.
Mark D. Wahl, PhD, Research Hydraulic Engineer from US Army Engineer Research and Development Center discussed the Technological solutions and software for Risk Assessment.
The next presentation prepared by Phil Beresford-Davis and Jamie Caffrey from IBM concerned the Inter-Agency Incident and Event Management by using IBM Intelligent Operations Center.
Third plenary session: FUTURE OPERATIONS IN URBAN ENVIRONMENT
Wing Commander Gordon PENDLETON (HQ SACT) delivered an update on the Urbanization project, followed by an Update on Strategic Forecast Analysis and Framework for Future Allied Operations given by Mr Mehmet Kinaci from HQ SACT.
Next, Ms Katarína Svitková PhD fellow from Charles University in Prague discussed the role of the Civilian Population in Urban Operations.
Dr Dave Kilcullen delivered a presentation on the Urban littoral followed by a Future littoral brief, both by VTC/Webex.
Ms Debrah Chandler – Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence, Estonia presented the Connectivity and Cyber Threats in a Future Urban Environment.
The plenary session was concluded with a presentation on the Resilient Communications & Urgent HF Systems by Rockwell Collins – Mr Jerry Frost.
The event was wrapped up with a closing speech by the seminar Director Col Milen MILKOV, who expressed his gratitude on behalf of CMDR COE for the fruitful discussion and the contribution from the participants. He emphasized that this seminar demonstrated COE's and NATO's commitment in the Crisis Management and Disaster Response domain.
News
On November 10th, 2016, the Crisis Management and Disaster Response Centre of Excellence and the National Defence Academy ‘G. S. Rakovski’ signed a cooperation agreement.
Major general Todor Dotchev, Commandant of the National Defence Academy ‘G. S. Rakovski’ opened the ceremony with a short welcome address. He indicated that the National Defence Academy ‘G. S. Rakovski’ had always been actively supporting the establishment of the CMDR COE and the process of its continuous development.
» read moreAn Armenian Ministry of Defence Delegation, led by Mr. Levon Ayvazyan, Director of the Defence Policy Directorate, visited the Crisis Management and Disaster Response Centre of Excellence (CMDR COE) on November 9, 2016. The delegation attended a meeting with CMDR COE Director, Colonel Vassil Roussinov, and Branch Chiefs.
» read moreA team from Crisis Management and Disaster Response Centre of Excellence took part in the Consequence Management Exercise CRNA GORA 2016. The exercise was conducted by the NATO’s Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC) and the Ministry of Interior of Montenegro and took place from 31 October to 4 November 2016 in Podgorica.
» read moreThe Crisis Management and Disaster Response Centre of Excellence (CMDR COE) successfully conducted its Steering Committee Meeting for the fourth year.
The annual session was held on 25-26 October, 2016 in Sofia, Bulgaria with the participation of the National Representatives from the MOD of Republic of Bulgaria, as a Framework Nation, the Hellenic National Defence General Staff and the MOD of Republic of Poland, as Sponsoring Nations.
» read moreSHAPE J9 CIMIC Delegation, led by ACOS J9 RADM Denis Bigot, visited the Crisis Management and Disaster Response Centre of Excellence (CMDR COE) on 11 October 2016. The aim of the duty call was acquirement with the specific CMDR COE’s mission, current status, developed capabilities and started projects. They met with Director Colonel Vassil Roussinov, CMDR COE Branch Chiefs and selected experts as presenters.
» read moreThe CMDR COE organized and conducted the first five-day iteration of Crisis Response Operations Planners Professional Development Course from 26 to 30 September 2016 in Sofia, Bulgaria.
The event aimed at providing comprehensive knowledge related to NATO Crisis Management, functioning of NATO Crisis Response System with emphasis on NATO Crisis Response Planning at operational level.
» read moreCrisis Management and Disaster Response Centre of Excellence (CMDR COE) devotes efforts to address the importance of understanding disaster management processes and raise awareness of the latest developments related to Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA).
» read moreCrisis Management and Disaster Response Centre of Excellence supported by NATO SPS Program conducted from 5th to 7th July 2016 Climate Change Implications on Military Activities in the Balkans Region Workshop attended by participants from 17 nations: 10 NATO countries (ALB, BGR, GBR, GRC, HUN, NLD, POL, ROM, TUR and USA) and 7 NATO PfP countries (FYROM, BIH, BRA, UKR, MNE, GEO and SRB)
» read moreCMDR COE conducted its fourth annual conference for Crisis Management and Disaster Response Interagency Interaction from 31st May to 02nd June in Marinela Hotel in Sofia, Bulgaria.
» read moreThe Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff Admiral Evangelos Apostolakis visited the Crisis Management and Disaster Response Centre of Excellence (CMDR COE) on 1 June. He met with Director Colonel Vassil Roussinov, the Chief of Staff of the Bulgarian JFC Commodore Dimitar Yordanov, and CMDR COE Branch Chiefs.
» read moreIn the period May 31 to June 3, 2016 CMDR COE will hold two events - ANNUAL CONFERENCE INTERAGENCY INTERACTION IN CRISIS MANAGEMENT AND DISASTER RESPONSE 2016 and MSG-147 - 2ND MEETING. Both events will be broadcasted live on the Web. For those who want to join online, below are the links to the relevant events.
» read moreThe aim of the course involved the acquisition of basic knowledge related to disasters as a phenomenon, the disaster management process and its close relation to the risk management process, as well as the main players and mechanisms in disaster response.
» read moreThe South-Eastern Europe Brigade (SEEBRIG) was established in 1999 and is currently located in Larissa. The SEEBRIG consists of six NATO and Partnership for Peace (PfP) nations: Albania, Bulgaria, FYROM, Greece, Romania, and Turkey and has a purpose to promote regional stability and security in South-Eastern Europe.
» read moreA Mobile Education and Training Team (METT), comprised of CMDR Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), conducted from 11 to 13 April 2016 a Disaster Response Operations Course at South-Eastern Europe Brigade (SEEBRIG) HQ, Larissa, Greece. Thirty five participants from SEEBRIG HQ – representatives from Albania, Bulgaria, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia[1], Greece, Romania, and Turkey took part and successfully completed the course.
» read moreOne year after the decision of the North Atlantic Council (NAC) for the accreditation of the Crisis Management and Disaster Response Centre of Excellence, the Centre celebrates its activation as a NATO Military Body.
» read moreThe Crisis Management and Disaster Response Course took place from 21 to 25 March 2016 at the CMDR COE.
The aim of the course is to provide the attendees with basic knowledge to NATO Crisis Management fundamentals, NATO Crisis Response System, and its complementary elements - NATO Crisis Management Process, Civil Emergency Planning, and Operations Planning, as well as Disaster Response main actors.
» read moreHeadquarters, Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (HQ SACT) in cooperation with the Crisis Management and Disaster Response Centre of Excellence (CMDR COE), successfully conducted the 2016 COE Legal Advisors (LEGADs) Conference in Sofia on 24-25 February 2016.
» read moreMinistry of Interior, supported by Civil-Emergency Planning Representative at Permanent Delegation of the Republic of Bulgaria to NATO, organized and conducted from 17 to 18 February 2016 CEP Workshop: Towards Operational, Coherent and Effective Civil Crisis Response Measures.
» read moreThe Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC) in cooperation with the Crisis Management and Disaster Response Centre of Excellence (CMDR COE) conducted a Lessons Identified Conference for the EADRCC Exercise Ukraine 2015 in Sofia on 25-27 January, 2016.
» read moreYou are cordially invited to attend and participate in the Kick - Off meeting of the NATO M&S Group 147 “M&S Support for Crisis and Disaster Management processes, and Climate Change implications”.
This event will take place on 17th and 18th March 2016 at the Arena Di Serdica Hotel in Sofia (Bulgaria).
» read moreCMDR COE would like to share with counterparts, collaborators and the whole crisis management and disaster response community of interest its first good news for the New 2016.
» read moreThe Training Requirements Analysis (TRA) workshop for the discipline Military role and tasks in Crisis Management/Disaster Relief was held on 13-14 January 2016 in Shipka Hotel in Sofia, Bulgaria. The workshop was attended by more than 20 participants from eight EU countries (AUT, BEL, GER, BUL, FIN, CYP, POL, ROM) and EU Military Training Group (EUMTG). The Working Group comprised experts from the Bulgarian National Defense College, other COEs, Defense Ministries and EU institutions.
» read moreCMDR COE has executed successfully from 1 to 3 December 2015, for the second consecutive time a course with the aim of providing Strategic Decision Makers with comprehensive knowledge of NATO Crisis Response Operations Planning.
» read moreCMDR COE successfully conducted the first Disaster Management Course from 17th to 19th November 2015.
During the 3-day course participants acquired basic knowledge related to disasters as a phenomenon, the disaster management process and its close relation to the risk management process, as well as the main players and mechanisms in disaster response.
» read moreCMDR COE successfully conducted for the second consecutive time the Crisis Response Operations Planners Professional Development Course from 20th to 22nd October 2015.
The aim of the course was directed at acquisition of comprehensive knowledge related to Crisis Management in NATO, functioning of NATO Crisis Response System with emphasis on NATO Crisis Response Planning at operational level.
» read moreOn October 14-15, 2015, the Crisis Management and Disaster Response Centre of Excellence (CMDR COE) hosted its Steering Committee Meeting for the third year.
The annual sessions are the venue where the Framework Nation and Sponsoring Nations set out all required prerequisites to be provided by the CMDR COE every year.
» read moreThe Sofia Military Attaché Corps has paid a visit to the Crisis Management and Disaster Response COE. The attaches were familiarized with the ongoing projects objectives of the Centre and met with its staff members. Col Roussinov, CMDR COE Director presented the main activities and focused attention to their significant contribution to the enhancing of nationwide capabilities for crisis management and disaster response.
» read moreThe CMDR COE is pleased to announce the launch of its third Interagency Interaction Seminar combined with the Urbanisation Experiment Final Coordination Conference (FCC) and Experiment Control Training Session.
The two major events are scheduled to take place at Boyana Residence, Sofia, Bulgaria in the period 8-12 JUN 2015.
The Interagency Interaction Seminar will be held over the course of two days - 8-9 JUN, 2015.
» read moreOn May 27th 2015 the Bulgarian Deputy Defence Minister, Mr. Dimitar Kyumyurdzhiev formally opened the Partnership Real time Information, Management and Exchange system (ePRIME) training course. This event is organized by the Cooperation and Regional Security Division, NATO HQ International Military Staff, led by Rear Admiral Emil Eftimov. This course is hosted by the Crisis Management and Disaster Response Center of Excellence (CMDR COE).
» read more