Around 40 minor earthquakes occur in Austria per year and looking back into the historic data also heavy shakes with a magnitude 7+ on Richter scale are possible. One of the earthquake lines goes along the alps and therefore earthquakes in and close to the mountain areas are possible. Many citizens live in or near mountain areas and also the primary infrastructures are concentrated in the main valleys along the alps.
The main purpose of the IRONORE 2019 project is to test the understanding and response in the framework of the Union Civil Protection Mechanism in an alpine region using a discussion based exercise and a full scale civil protection exercise. The focus of these exercises will be placed on development of response starting with local response, request of assistance using the communication tool “CECIS” via the Austrian Ministry of the Interior and to open the Union Civil Protection Mechanism, receiving international assistance (EU modules, other response capacities and a Union Civil Protection Team), train host nation support and embed incoming assistance into the Austrian response system. Especially for the discussion based exercise innovative virtual reality technology will be used to simulate assessments.
The exercises give a learning opportunity to train mobilization, interoperability and serving / receiving international assistance following the Mechanism procedure.
Aims and objectives of our project
The aims of the IRONORE2019 exercise are to strengthen the preparedness of response to an earthquake disaster within Austria in an alpine area, including training of interoperability of UCP capacities, the procedures to activate the UCP Mechanism, communication with Emergency Response and Coordination Center as well as to exercise the Austrian Host Nation Support. The Styrian command and control system and a virtual reality simulation during the DBX will be used to improve the interoperability of all involved teams and participants.
The objectives are:
- To verify and improve procedures and to establish a common understanding of the cooperation in civil protection assistance.
- Increased earthquake response capacities through planning and conducting of DBX and FSX and subsequent improvement planning.
- Enhanced Training impact by using simulation tools in the DBX and the FSX.
- Interoperability improvement by using the Styrian government command and control system.
