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IAEM Spain National Representative Presents "International Cooperation After Disasters" at the May 9 Meeting of the International Scout and Guide Fellowship in Madrid (10 May 2010) On May 9, IAEM’s National Representative in Spain, José Antonio Aparicio Florido, offered a conference at the Civic Center “Madre Teresa de Calcuta” in Madrid, entitled “International Cooperation After Disasters.” He talked about one of the phases or principles of emergency management: the recovery post-disaster.

     This conference was offered in response to the invitation of the International Scout and Guide Fellowship (ISGF-AISG), a non-profit association that brings together Scout seniors from around the world. The event was attended by 30 Scout leaders and members of the Federal Board of ISGF-AISG in Spain, who were particularly interested in how the national and international adult Scout Movement could help to provide humanitarian aid and material and human assistance following major disasters. For more photos, visit:

• www. iaem.es/index.php? option=com_ content& view=article&id=1332
• www.aisg.es/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=292& Itemid=188

UK Flood and Water Management Bill Gained Royal Assent on Apr. 15, 2010 (16 Apr 2010) The UK Flood and Water Management Act will implement several key recommendations of Sir Michael Pitt’s Review of the Summer 2007 floods, protect water supplies to consumers and protect community groups from excessive charges for surface water drainage.

The Act’s provisions include:

• New statutory responsibilities for managing flood risk – There will be national strategies and guidance on managing flood risk in England and Wales. Unitary and county councils will bring together the relevant bodies, who will have a duty to cooperate, to develop local strategies for managing local flood risk.
• Protection of assets which help manage flood risk – The Environment Agency, local authorities and internal drainage boards will be able to ensure that private assets which help manage the risks of floods cannot be altered without consent. For example, putting a gate in a wall that is helping protect an area could increase the risk of flooding.
• Powers to carry out environmental works – the Environment Agency, local authorities and internal drainage boards will be able to manage water levels to deliver leisure, habitat and other environmental benefits.
• Sustainable drainage – drainage systems for all new developments will need to be in line with new National Standards to help manage and reduce the flow of surface water into the sewerage system.
• New sewer standards – all sewers will be built to agreed standards in future so that they are adopted and maintained by the relevant sewerage company.
• Reservoir safety – the public will be protected by a new risk-based regime for reservoir safety. It will reduce the burden on regulated reservoirs where people are not at risk, but introduce regulation for some potentially risky reservoirs currently outside of the system.
• Water company charges – there will be protection against unaffordable charges for surface water drainage for community groups such as churches, scouts and others. Future water company charges can include social tariffs for those who would otherwise face difficulty meeting their bills.
• Protection of water supplies – there will be wider powers for water companies to control non-essential domestic uses of water in times of drought.
• Other protection for water company customers – there will be new powers to reduce the level of bad debt, new arrangements for managing very risky infrastructure projects which could be a threat to the ability of the water company to provide its services, and updated arrangements for administration of water companies should they get into difficulties.

Further information:

• For more information on the Flood and Water Management Act visit: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/flooding/policy/fwmb/.
• Two thirds of the flooding in 2007 (which affected 55,000 people in the UK) was caused by surface water flooding which happens when heavy rainfall overwhelms sewers and drains and the water has nowhere to go. For more information on surface water flooding go to: http://defra.gov.uk/environment/flooding/manage/surfacewater/index.htm.
• More details on concessionary charges for community groups for surface water drainage can be found at: http://defra.gov.uk/news/2009/090928a.htm.
• Reservoirs were only regulated in the past if their capacity was 25,000 cubic metres or more.

IAEM Europa and SIE Asesores de Emergencias (Spain) Sign Memorandum of Understanding (06 Apr 2010) IAEM Europa and SIE Asesores de Emergencias in Spain have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that will see both organisations working together to promote emergency management and develop our profession.

UK Publishes 2010 Edition of the National Risk Register of Civil Emergencies (23 Mar 2010) In 2008, the UK Government published, for the first time, a National Risk Register, fulfilling a commitment made in the National Security Strategy. This was the first step in providing advice on how people and businesses can better prepare for civil emergencies. The 2010 update to this document, the National Risk Register of Civil Emergencies 2010 edition [PDF 58 pages, 681KB], has been published to update the public on the Government’s most current assessment of the likelihood and potential impact of a range of different risks (both natural hazards and malicious threats) that may directly affect the UK. Download document here.

UK Resilience Releases 2010 Update of Concept of Operations on Response to Emergencies Requiring Coordinated UK Central Government Action (22 Mar 2010)

The Central Government’s Concept of Operations sets out the UK arrangements for responding to and recovering from emergencies, irrespective of cause or location and requiring coordinated central government action. It describes how the UK central government response will be organised, and the relationship between the central, regional and local tiers in England, as well as the relationship between the UK central government and the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It focuses primarily on the response to no-notice or short notice emergencies requiring UK central government engagement, although the approach outlined here can be adapted to manage the response to other crises. The document was originally approved by ministers in 2005, and this updated version reflects revised arrangements in light of recent national emergencies.

• Central Government’s Concept of Operations [PDF 80 pages, 574KB] - Document setting out the arrangements for the response to emergencies requiring co-ordinated UK central government action
• Central Government’s Concept of Operations - An Overview [PDF 9 pages, 72KB]
    

UK Health & Safety Executive Issued Guidance Regarding UK Firefighter Health and Safety (12 Mar 2010) The UK Health & Safety Executive has issued guidance, Striking the Balance Between Operational and Health and Safety Duties in the Fire and Rescue Service, which can be summarised as follows:

• The Fire Authorities/Fire and Rescue Services have a ‘duty of care’ towards their firefighters whilst at work.
• Fire and Rescue Activities are fast moving, at times very hazardous and emotionally charged.
• A balance need to be managed between meeting statutory Health and Safety regulatory requirements whilst providing an effective emergency service to our communities.
• It’s effectively a test of  ’appropriateness’ - “doing the right thing at the right time”.
• The “quantum of risk” is subjective and ultimately will be defined by ‘case law’ – the test will include “Would another competent Fire Commander do the same thing given similar circumstances?

UK Emergency Planning College Gets New Management Company (26 Feb 2010) Serco has been appointed by the Cabinet Office to manage and operate the UK's Emergency Planning College (EPC), under a contract valued at around £55m over 15 years. In managing the EPC, Serco will bring to bear its strong track record in defence and emergency training support, and in managing critical national services including air traffic control, transport networks, hospitals, airports, and defence and national security infrastructure. In delivering these essential services, Serco makes an active contribution to the development of resilience for governments around the world through its focus on reducing vulnerability to emergencies. Serco's training experience includes the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom at Shrivenham, which trains senior military leaders from UK and international armed services, and operation of the world renowned International Fire Training College (IFTC).

   The College will be directed by a joint partnership board. Serco will have responsibility for all services at the EPC, including training delivery and support, sales and marketing, finance, estate management, information and communications technology, and security. Serco will focus on both growing the business and enhancing the EPC's reputation as the UK's leading provider of emergency planning training across the public and private sectors, and will also take a lead role in maintaining professional standards for emergency planning. The Cabinet Office Civil Contingencies Secretariat (CCS) will deliver policy direction and guidance; resilience doctrine and guidance; overall quality assurance of training; and contract monitoring.

   Commenting on the contract award, Andrew White, CEO for Serco's defence, science and nuclear business, said: "A key part of Serco's mission is to help strengthen the UK's national security and resilience, we are excited by the opportunity to further our contribution through this new relationship with the EPC. I am looking forward to working with our new partners to sustain and enhance the role of the EPC in protecting the public."

   Speaking on behalf of the Emergency Planning College, Michael Charlton-Weedy, Chief Executive of EPC, said: "This is an innovative arrangement that offers benefits to both partners. It offers the opportunity to build an even better and more successful business at EPC, building on the extensive improvement and modernisation that has been recently undertaken. In addition it will also increase the College's contribution to the UK's resilience to emergencies through the delivery of world-class training, whilst also achieving substantial savings."

   The EPC, based at Easingwold in North Yorkshire, has been the Government's centre of excellence in crisis management and emergency planning training since 1989. The importance of the EPC to the UK's resilience in the face of national emergencies has grown in recent years, given the increasing security challenges facing the UK. With this new contract, Serco will support the Cabinet Office in enhancing that position in the future.

IAEM-Europa Provides Comments on UK Resilience Draft on "Renewing Civil Contingencies Act Arrangements for London" (25 Feb 2010) Details are provided in the previous 8 January 2010 news item below. Download IAEM-Europa comments here.

IAEM-Europa Members Asked to Comment on UK Resilience Draft Revision to Chapter 3 (Information Sharing) of the Statutory Guidance and on the Interim Guidance, "Civil Contingenies Act 2004 - The Fit With Other Legislation (08 Jan 2010) As part of the Civil Contingencies Act Enhancement Programme, UK Resilience has developed updated and new guidance to support Category 1 and 2 responders in fulfilling their duties under the CCA. As part of Phase 1 of the programme, which focused on improving the standard and consistency in the way the existing legislative framework was implemented, the existing Information Sharing chapter in the statutory guidance, Emergency Preparedness was considered.

Through engaging with a range of stakeholders, opportunities were identified to enhance the guidance and have resulted in a draft revision for consultation. The closing date for the consultation is Friday 26 February 2010. The results of this formal consultation will inform the final updated version which we hope to publish in Spring 2010.

For further information, please contact the Civil Contingencies Act Enhancement Programme team on 0207 217 5017 or email ccact@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk. Comments for inclusion in the IAEM-Europa response should be forwarded to IAEM-Europa President Arthur Rabjohn, CEM, at arthur@ccaconsultants.eu.

Document Downloads:

• Consultation Letter [PDF 2 pages, 190KB]
• Consultation Paper: Information Sharing Under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 [PDF 35 pages, 850KB] | Template for consultation responses [Word Document] The draft revision to Chapter 3 (Information Sharing) of Emergency Preparedness aims to meet a need to improve awareness of the use of protective markings, security vetting, Data Protection and Freedom of Information, and highlights the importance of producing information sharing protocols which are exercised and tested.
• Consultation Paper: Civil Contingencies Act 2004, The Fit With Other Legislation [PDF 26 pages, 413KB] | Template for consultation responses [Word Document] The new guidance, The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 – The Fit With Other Legislation, aims to support a consistent approach across planning and response arrangements established by the CCA and other site specific legislation. This has been prepared as interim guidance to complement that in Emergency Preparedness, and will be fully incorporated into Emergency Preparedness when the whole document is reviewed at a later stage of the programme.
• Civil Contingencies Act page

IAEM-Europa To Hold Annual General Meeting in June 2010 During INTERSCHUTZ 2010 in Leipzig, Germany  (02 Jan 2010) The IAEM-Europa 2010 Annual General Meeting will be held in conjunction with INTERSCHUTZ 2010 (International Exhibition for Rescue, Fire Prevention, Disaster Relief, Safety, & Security), Leipzig Exhibition Center, Leipzig, Germany, June 7-12, 2010. IAEM-Europa is supporting that event and will have a booth in the exhibition hall. The IAEM-Europa Annual General Meeting, an in-person Board meeting, and the CEM® Candidate Workshop and CEM®/AEM Exam will be held June 10-12, 2010, during INTERSCHUTZ 2010.

IAEM-Europa and ISCRAM Sign Memorandum of Partnership (19 Nov 2009) ISCRAM (International Community on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management) has stated its objective is to create a knowledge sharing community to study the research and development of information systems that can be applied to crisis response and management. To accomplish this purpose, ISCRAM supports the sharing of information and the enhancement of emergency management efforts at local, regional, national and international levels and the continued participation of all agencies and departments involved in emergency management. It is therefore a great partner for IAEM, and the Europa Council is pleased to announce that a Memorandum of Partnership has been signed with them. They have invited IAEM members to participate in their annual conference:

ISCRAM 2010 - Defining Crisis Management 3.0
7th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management
May 2-5, 2010
Crowne Plaza Hotel
Seattle Washington USA

   

IAEM Members in the UK Asked to Comment on Draft Strategic Framework and Policy Statement on Improving the Resilience of Critical Infrastructure (13 Nov 2009) Sir Michael Pitt identified in his report on the summer 2007 floods a gap in the Government’s policy-making and delivery towards the protection of critical infrastructure from severe disruption caused by natural hazards. Sir Michael recommended that the Government should “establish a systematic, coordinated, cross-sector campaign to reduce the disruption caused by natural events to critical infrastructure and essential services.” The Natural Hazards Team in the Cabinet Office has produced a draft Strategic Framework and Policy Statement on improving the resilience of critical infrastructure, which sets out the proposed policy intent, scope, aims, timescales and workstreams for the resilience programme. It is being circulated for discussion with Government, regulators, industry groups, infrastructure owners and operators, and other interested parties. The closing date for responses is noon on Monday 18 January 2010. You may respond individually, or have your comments included in the IAEM response by sending feedback to IAEM-Europa President Arthur Rabjohn, CEM, at arthur@ccaconsultants.eu.

Document downloads:

• Consultation Letter [PDF 1 page, 72KB]
• Draft Strategic Framework and Policy Statement [PDF 29 pages, 1MB]
• Template for consultation responses [Word 7 pages, 97KB]

• IAEM-Europa Members Responded on Draft Strategic Framework and Policy Statement on Improving the Resilience of Critical Infrastructure (25 Jan 2010) See details above about the request for comments. Download the IAEM-Europa response here.

UK Cabinet Office Publishes Guidance for Emergency Planners on Logistic Operations for Emergency Supplies (24 August 2009) The UK Cabinet Office has published guidance for emergency planners on "Logistic Operations for Emergency Supplies." The objective of the guidance is to provide a common understanding of options available to emergency planners for the coordination, prioritisation and acquisition of emergency supplies. Download the guidance here. The guidance is based on the following principles:

• Local Resilience Forums should set up a multi-agency logistic support capability as a standard part of their emergency planning, response and recovery arrangements.
• Regional Offices should facilitate logistic support arrangements within a region.
• Central Government should provide strategic guidance and advice; also support and co-ordination in the event of exceptional circumstances.

UK Health and Safety Executive Issues Planning Advice for Developments Near Hazardous Installations (18 August 2009) The 2009 version of PADHI - the UK's Health and Safety Executive (HSE) land use planning methodology is now available. The guide is designed to help planners and developers who want to work out for themselves what the likely response of HSE will be if HSE were to be consulted about a planning proposal. Link to document.

UK Guidance "Emergency Response and Recovery" Version 2 Released (17 August 2009) This guidance aims to establish good practice based on lessons identified from responding to and recovering from emergencies, both in the UK and internationally. It accompanies Emergency Preparedness, which provides guidance on how to implement the CCA regime (this includes guidance on risk assessment, emergency and business continuity planning, communicating with the public, co-ordination, information sharing and for Local Authorities only business continuity promotion). Learn more.

EU Civil Protection Announces Community Wide Event (21 July 2009) The Civil Protection Forum – Towards a more resilient society, set for 25-26 November 2009 in Brussels, aims to explore the concept of resilience, which is new to civil protection. Climate change is likely to increase the frequency and impact of disasters, and Europe has to be prepared for this challenge. The Forum will start a debate on a comprehensive European disaster management strategy to enhance resilience. The Civil Protection Forum will bring together around 500 delegates, speakers and exhibitors from politics, academia, the civil protection services and international organisations. Participants come to network, learn about new technologies used in civil protection, hear from international partners, debate lessons learned from past emergencies; discuss the future of European civil protection and much more. conference site

UK Takes Major Step to Protect Communities and Businesses from Flood and Drought (21 July 2009) The UK Government has taken a major step to protect communities and businesses from floods and drought. On the 21 April, the Government published the draft Flood and Water Management Bill for consultation.

Why does the UK need a Flood and Water Management Bill?

There are several reasons why the UK needs new legislation for managing flood and coastal erosion risk in England and Wales:

• Our current flood and coastal erosion risk management and reservoir safety legislation reflects outmoded approaches and organisational structures, with its roots in the 1930s and 1940s;
• Sir Michael Pitt’s Review of the Summer 2007 floods identified clear gaps in the way that flood risk is managed, particularly in relation to surface water flooding and on the need for a more risk-based approach to reservoir safety;
• The need to adapt to climate change which is predicted to increase flood and coastal erosion risks through rising sea levels, changing patterns of rainfall and flood flows in rivers, and increased risks from surface water flooding;
• The need to transpose new legal obligations such as those arising from the EU Floods Directive;
• A range of outstanding commitments to legislate arising from water policy statements; and
• The need to enhance certain aspects of Ofwat’s regulatory powers.

Main Benefits

The draft Flood and Water Management Bill will:

• deliver improved security, service and sustainability for people and their communities,
• It will be clear who is responsible for managing flood risk,
• protect essential water supplies,
• modernise the law for managing flood risk and reservoir safety,
• encourage more sustainable forms of drainage,
• enable water companies to control more non-essential uses of water during droughts, and
• make it easier to resolve misconnections to sewers .

The overall effect will be a healthier environment, better service and greater protection for people, their communities and businesses.

The deadline for responses is 24 July 2009.

The following material has been published as part of the consultation:

• Letter to consultees (PDF 107 KB)
• Draft Bill Package (containing the consultation document, draft Bill, explanatory notes and Impact Assessment, Official Documents)

Additional information about the Flood and Water Management Bill is available in the Flood and Water Bill section.

Europe Develops Resilience in the Caribbean (20 July 2009) The Virgin Islands Department of Disaster Management conducted a 2 day course from 13th – 14th July on Search Techniques and Considerations (STC) to enhance the Territory's search and rescue skills within the Public Sector. The course was designed to instruct responder level personnel in proven methods of preparing for and conducting an organised search and rescue effort for lost, missing or entrapped persons.  It also provided a forum for information sharing and the exchange of ideas among participants.  Through the technical guidance of instructor Mr. Leonard Ron Mobley, a retired fire-fighter and paramedic, participants were exposed to specific issues to be considered in the event of a search and rescue operation including search patterns. The techniques used were applicable both at the national and regional levels. 14 participants benefited from the course. They consisted of representatives from the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force and the Virgin Islands Fire and Rescue Services.

     This continued effort to address this critical capacity gap within the government of the Virgin Islands was made possible with support and technical input from the Earthquake Readiness Capacity Building Project, funded by the Austrian Government and managed by the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA). The Government of Austria is providing support to at risk CDERA Participating States, including the Virgin Islands, under the Capacity-Building for Programming in Comprehensive Disaster Management in the areas of benchmarking their earthquake preparedness capacity, enhancing earthquake contingency plans including Search and Rescue and promoting earthquake awareness. To learn more about the Department of Disaster Management and its functions visit the website at www.bviddm.com.

IAEM-Europa and ISCRAM Sign Memorandum of Partnership (13 July 2009) Following the presentation given by IAEM-Europa President, Arthur Rabjohn, CEM, at the ISCRAM (International Community on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management) Conference in Gothenburg earlier this year, IAEM-Europa and ISCRAM have signed a Memorandum of Partnership. The intention of the partnership is to bring the technology research and development aspects of ISCRAM’s members work into contact with the end users. Through its academic and technology centres of activity, ISCRAM is keen to engage to a greater degree with practitioners. The first project of this partnership has been to put ISCRAM in touch with IAEM-USA Region 10 to see if the ISCRAM Conference next year in Seattle can be a joint venture benefiting both that IAEM Region and ISCRAM. Visit the ISCRAM Web site.

IAEM-Europa Reaches a Milestone with Approval of Not-for-Profit Status (27 Apr 2009) IAEM-Europa President Arthur Rabjohn, CEM, announced today that IAEM-Europa has received notification that its registration as a not-for-profit association under Belgium law has been successful. "This is an important milestone in our progress to develop local activities to support members, as we can now carry out financial transactions within the EU as a properly registered entity," said IAEM-Europa President Rabjohn. "The next steps will be to create a local bank account and put in place the appropriate financial controls to support local activity. I am very grateful to Laura Shapland, IAEM-Europa Secretary, and Luc Rombout, IAEM-Europa Treasurer, for their hard work in putting together the lengthy application that had to be completed."

IAEM-Europa Members Asked to Comment on UK Emergency Response and Recovery - Consultation Draft (03 Mar 2009) Stakeholders have been invited to comment on the revised UK Emergency Response and Recovery – Consultation Draft. Please send comments to IAEM-Europa President Arthur Rabjohn, CEM, by April 18, 2009, if you wish your feedback to be included in the IAEM-Europa response.

Details About the Request for Comments | Download the Draft Document

     As part of the first phase of Civil Contingencies Act Enhancement Programme (CCAEP), the non statutory guidance Emergency Response and Recovery (ERR) has been updated to reflect changes in response and recovery methodology since Version 1 of the guidance was published in autumn 2005. This update aims to:

• reflect new recovery methodology since the guidance was first published, and to incorporate the guidelines established by the National Recovery Working Group and published in the National Recovery Guidance;
• integrate lessons identified from a range of recent emergencies, including the Buncefield explosion in 2005, the Foot and Mouth Disease and Bluetongue outbreaks in 2007, and the 2007 summer floods;
• reflect the Science and Technical Advice Cell concept, the evolving Resilient Telecommunications Strategy, and new standards in command and control in emergency response; and
• reflect new practice in multi-agency working and on-shore/off-shore interaction when responding to maritime emergencies.
• Furthermore, the update provides an opportunity to reflect changes in organisational structures and to capture good practice in relation to response and recovery. As with ERR Version 1, the updated guidance is aimed at all staff of responder agencies, and, in particular managers who may get involved in emergency response and recovery work.

Ceremony to Mark the Strengthening of CDERA: European Commission Supports Disaster Management Agency's New Direction (11/10/08) Source: CDERA (Caribbean)
     The European Commission (EC) is providing the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA) with € 3.4 million to support the agency's new direction in which it will no longer just respond to disasters when they occur, but also promote prevention and preparation activities that reduce the risks posed by disasters before they take place.
     CDERA's new approach to tackling disasters, called Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM), has led to the agency's responsibilities being widened to include disaster-related training and public awareness raising, and empowering the region's disaster managers with the resources and skills they need to best carry out their duties.
     The EC support will help CDERA adapt to its new role, and will make the agency more capable of providing the intense coordination and leadership demanded of it in one of the most disaster-prone areas of the world.  Specifically, the funds will be used to improve disaster-based legislation in CDERA's 16 member states, and to increase the skill set and knowledge base of the region's disaster managers by supporting disaster-related teaching and research.  They will also be used to support awareness campaigns that make disaster preparedness and prevention seem not just necessary, but also cost-effective and appealing to Caribbean people, and to modernise emergency response and planning in the Caribbean by giving the region’s disaster managers increased access to computer-based technologies.
     The EC financing will also provide capacity building to CDERA, allowing the agency to become better staffed, equipped and organized.  To this end, CDERA recently underwent an organisational audit that weighed what the agency is capable of against what is required of it, and which examined how CDERA could best tailor its resources and operations so that they fit the agency's new commitments.
     The audit involved discussions with CDERA's staff and the agency's development partners, including the EC and the United Nations Development Programme.  The consultations yielded recommendations for improvements to CDERA's human and material resources, management and financing, as well as for extending CDERA membership to non-CARICOM countries, such as the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
     Work has just begun on realising the audit's proposals.  This landmark will be celebrated in a Signing Ceremony at which the EC, CARICOM and CDERA will publicly display their commitment to taking the disaster management agency down its new and, ultimately, more effective path.  The ceremony takes place at 10 a.m. on Wednesday 5th November at the CDERA Coordinating Unit in Bridgetown, Barbados.
     The EC support and audit are timely because disasters in the Caribbean are now more destructive than ever due to more frequent and stronger hurricanes, and because our populations are increasingly crowded together in urban areas where disasters can do much more damage.  These increasingly destructive disasters not only kill, but also wipe out years of investments and infrastructure, and their rehabilitation costs are stretching regional economies to the point where development programmes are being sacrificed.
     By strengthening CDERA and helping it move in its new direction, the EC support will yield a region that can better prepare for and recover from disasters, and in which the human and economic toll of disasters is minimised.

European Maritime Safety Agency, European Chemical Industry Council and Centre of Documentation, Research and Experimentation on Accidental Water Pollution Sign Agreement for Cooperation in the Field of Marine Pollution Involving Chemicals (10/21/08) At the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) premises in Lisbon, Mr Willem de Ruiter, Executive Director of the EMSA, Mr Joachim Krueger, Executive Director of the Energy, HSE and Logistics Programme of the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) and Mr Pierre Maille, Chairman of the Board of the Centre of Documentation, Research and Experimentation on Accidental Water Pollution (Cedre), signed an agreement between the three organisations establishing the "M-ICE Network” and the framework for closer co-operation in the field of chemical marine pollution response. Learn more.
   

IAEM Euopra Signs Partnership Agreement with Netwerk Ambtenaren Openbare Veiligheid (NAOV) (10/.20/08) NAOV, in the Netherlands, is an association of and for professionals in the emergency management fields of security, disaster management and crisis control. The NAOV works to increase knowledge and share good practice in this field. Learn more.

Wales to Hold Emergency Planning Exercise to Prepare All Agencies for All Hazards (09/30/08) The emergency services, police and the Welsh Assembly Government will meet at the Millennium Stadium next month to discuss how they would deal with a terrorist attack, disease outbreak or natural disaster in the Welsh capital. The Wales Centre for Health is hosting the emergency planning exercise to prepare all agencies in how to deal with chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear incidents, large industrial accidents and maintaining public order in a crisis. Learn more.

UK Government Publishes its First National Risk Register (08/08/08) As announced in the National Security Strategy, the UK Government has published a National Risk Register which sets out its assessment of the likelihood and potential impact of a range of different risks that may directly affect the UK. The National Risk Register is designed to increase awareness of the kinds of risks the UK faces, and encourage individuals and organisations to think about their own preparedness. The register also includes details of what the government and emergency services are doing to prepare for emergencies. Learn more.

Eastern Europe Floods Kill 42 People, Thousands Evacuated: UN (08/06/08)

EU Civil Protection Mechanism Heightens Community Cooperation in Cases of National Emergency (08/06/08)

1. What is the Community Civil Protection Mechanism?
  The Community Civil Protection Mechanism (CCPM) is an instrument that heightens Community cooperation in cases of national emergency and in situations where there is an imminent threat of a major emergency. It was first established in 2001.

  Any country in the world affected by a disaster can ask for the support of the CCPM. The Mechanism may be activated, for example, if the country in question is overwhelmed by the scale of the disaster and requests assistance. By pooling the civil protection capabilities of the participating states, the Mechanism can ensure better protection of people, the natural and cultural environment, and property.

Background reading can be found here:   http://ec.europa.eu/environment/civil/prote/mechanism.htm

2. Why cooperate?

  The aim of Community cooperation in the field of civil protection is to improve the protection of people, their environment, property and cultural heritage in the event of major natural or man-made disasters occurring either within or outside the European Union.

  The international role played by European countries in the provision of civil protection assistance is growing. This can be seen in recent disasters, such as the South Asia tsunami in 2004, the hurricane in the United States and the Pakistan earthquake in 2005, the Indonesia earthquake and the crisis in Lebanon in 2006, and the forest fires in Greece in 2007.

  Over time, the EU institutions and EU Member States have come to rely more and more on cooperation in the provision of civil protection assistance in order to be as effective as possible at the site of a disaster. There is clear added value in working together. Cooperation allows the pooling of resources and maximises the combined European effort on site.

  The management of natural and man-made disasters is a clear example of the value of action at Community level, where the responsibility of the national authorities of the affected country for dealing directly with disasters remains unchallenged but is facilitated and assisted by a concerted collective effort.
For more information: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/civil/prote/cp01_en.htm

3. Which countries participate in the Community Mechanism?

  There are 30 countries participating in the Community Civil Protection Mechanism: they are the 27 current Member States of the European Union, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.
For more information: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/civil/prote/cp10_en.htm

4. How does the civil protection mechanism operate?

  The Community Civil Protection Mechanism comprises the Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC) and a programme of training and simulation exercises which facilitate both adequate preparedness and effective response to disasters at Community level.

  The Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC) is the operational "heart" of the Mechanism. It is operated by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Environment and is accessible 24 hours a day giving countries access to a platform, a "one-stop-shop" of civil protection resources that are available in the participating states. Any country within or outside the Union that is affected by a major disaster can appeal for assistance via the MIC. It acts as a communication hub at headquarters level between participating states, the affected country and the experts who are dispatched to the field. It also provides useful and updated information on the actual status of an ongoing emergency. Last but not least, the MIC performs a coordinating role by matching the offers of assistance from participating states to the needs of the disaster-stricken country.
For more information:

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/civil/prote/mic.htm

  A training programme has been set up to improve the coordination of civil protection assistance by ensuring compatibility and complementarity between teams from participating states. It also enhances the skills of experts involved in civil protection assistance through best practice. This programme involves training courses, the organisation of joint exercises and a system for the exchange of experts from participating states.
For more information:
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/civil/prote/activities.htm
and
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/civil/prote/exercises.htm

5. Where has the Civil Protection Mechanism intervened this year?

  On 17 May a team of experts was sent to China to help coordinate expert and material assistance from Member States. The Chinese authorities made an official request for assistance following the massive earthquake that struck south-western China on 12 May, and help was offered by Austria, Germany, Italy, Sweden and Malta.

  Other 2008 expert operations include an intervention in Burma during a strong tropical cyclone that caused the worst natural disaster in the country's recorded history. Expert teams were also sent to Bolivia and Ecuador earlier in the year where relief was provided for the thousands of homes ravaged by floods. The MIC team helped coordinate the response to the disaster, assisted with logistical management, helped to evaluate the damage caused by the floods and provided technical expertise in updating emergency plans.

6. What else do I need to know about the MIC?

  The MIC control centre is located at the Directorate General responsible for the environment, at Avenue Beaulieu, 5, B-1049 in Brussels, Belgium and is run by a specialist group of approximately 30 individuals.

  The working staff is made up of a mixture of European Commission civil servants and seconded experts detached from national civil protection organisations, ensuring a constant and timely flow of communication between participating components of the mechanism.

7. What are the budgetary arrangements of the MIC and how is this money spent?

  During the seven-year period (2007-2013) the centre operates under a budget of €189.8 million amounting to around €28 milliolion each year. €20 million of this annual sum is reservved for operations inside the EU with the remaining €88 million reserved for actions in non Member States.

  Most of these funds are spent on the training programme, simulation exercises, subsidising projects, mission expenses for experts during emergencies and the general day-to-day running of the MIC. Under certain conditions, there is also a budget for the co-financing of transportation costs.

8. What is the role of experts?

  When required, the MIC also deploys civil protection experts who have been seconded by participating states, mainly to operations outside the European Union. These experts have been trained by their national authorities and have also received training from the European Commission. Their tasks are set out in a brief that is specific to each new emergency. Their principal role is to act as a link or liaison between the civil protection assistance from the participating states, the MIC and the recipient country. They are, in effect, the MIC's "eyes and ears" in the field. In certain situations, the MIC also deploys specialised experts. In 2006, for example, this involved sending volcano experts to Indonesia when the Merapi volcano erupted and dispatching bioremediation experts to an oil spill in the Philippines.

9. What is the role of the MIC in relation to forest fires?

  The Mechanism can be activated for any kind of disaster, including forest fires, which overwhelms the capacity of any country.

  Last summer the MIC received a total of 12 requests for assistance for forest fires, leading to a three-month period of continuous activation. Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Italy, Albania and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (fYRoM) all activated the Mechanism.

  Other Member States, and those countries suffering forest fires themselves, offered assistance on a voluntary basis in the form of water bombing aircraft (Canadairs), helicopters, fire fighting equipment and personnel.

10. How is the European Union preparing for this year's forest fire season?

  After last year's forest fires, the MIC organised a 'lessons learned' meeting with Member States and has now put in place a short-term strategy to prepare for this year.

  This has involved identifying and removing technical obstacles to the provision of mutual assistance, in particular with regard to interoperability issues.

  A number of forest fire experts from the Member States have also been selected and trained and are available for dispatch if required to help improve coordination.

  The tools available for monitoring forest fires have also been improved with the help of the Commission's Joint Research Centre which should improve the exchange of information between the MIC and the Member States.

  Thanks to additional money made available by the Budgetary Authority, arrangements are being made for extra aircraft availability for the 2009 summer season.

11. Who pays for the assistance?

  According to the implementing rules of the Mechanism, the state requesting assistance bears the costs of assistance provided by the participating states.

  However, the participating state providing assistance may, depending on the nature of the emergency and the extent of any damage, offer its assistance entirely or partially free of charge.

  In practice, the majority of participating states offer assistance free of charge as a gesture of solidarity.

  It should be noted that details cannot be provided about offers from specific countries during emergencies.

12. Where can I find more information about European civil protection?

  The European Commission's website for civil protection contains other information on the Mechanism and on the emergencies for which it has been activated. This website can be found at: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/civil/

To contact a European Commission Delegation please follow this link:
http://ec.europa.eu/comm/external_relations/delegations/intro/web.htm

For the EU's foreign policy on the particular country, please visit:

http://ec.europa.eu/comm/external_relations/index.htm

The European Union may also be providing humanitarian aid and/or development aid in the affected country. Information for the Press on Humanitarian aid may be accessed from here:
http://ec.europa.eu/echo/index_en.htm

Information for the Press on Development aid may be accessed from here:
http://ec.europa.eu/development/body/press-forum/home.html
 

Civil Protection Mechanism Activated for Floods in Romania (08/01/08) European countries have come to the help of Romania following severe flooding in which five people died. Austria, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Sweden and Lithuania have offered power generators after Romania asked for European assistance on 29 July following recent heavy rainfalls. The European Commission immediately activated its Civil Protection Mechanism. So far more than 10,000 people have been evacuated from their homes and some 26,000 hectares of land have been flooded. More than 13,000 homes have been damaged by flooding and 99 have collapsed. The severe floods have disrupted transport networks and destroyed 45 dykes. The floods affected 145 localities. The worst affected areas are in the counties of Maramures, Suceava, Bacau, Botosani, Lasi and Neamt. Although the heavy rains have stopped, water levels remain alarmingly high. Romanian authorities have started a recovery phase but urgently need more electric generators to power hospitals, shelters and other essential services. The Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC), operated by the European Commission in Brussels, is the operational heart of the Community Mechanism for Civil Protection. It is available on a 24/7 basis. Any country (inside or outside the EU) affected by a major disaster can launch a request for assistance through the MIC. The MIC coordinates the requests and offers of assistance, provides information on civil protection preparedness and response, and supports the coordination of the provision of European assistance.
  

UK Releases Outline of Draft National Flood Emergency Framework (07/30/08) In his statement to Parliament following the publication of the Pitt Review: Lessons learned from the 2007 floods, the Secretary of State for The Environment, Food and rural Affairs said that the Government would produce an outline of a National Flood Emergency Framework by the end of July 2008. That outline was published on 30 July 2008. The outline is a first step towards meeting the Government's commitment to produce a draft Framework for consultation by the end of 2008, as part of a major programme to improve preparedness for severe flooding.

• Outline of a National Flood Emergency Framework (24 pages)

Request for Comments on UK Contingency Plan for Exotic Animal Diseases from Dept. for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (07/21/08)

http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/animaldisease-plan2008/index.htm

In accordance with our legislative obligations under section 14a of the Animal Health Act 1981 Defra is inviting comments on the 2008 version of its Contingency Plan for Exotic Animal Diseases. The plan covers arrangements for response to an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), Avian Influenza (AI), Newcastle Disease (ND), Classical Swine Fever (CSF), African Swine Fever (ASF), Swine Vesicular Disease (SVD), Rabies, Bluetongue (BT), and certain specified types of equine exotic diseases (e.g Glanders, Dourine, Infectious Anaemia and Equine encephalitis / encephalomyelitis of all types including West Nile Virus).

The Contingency Plan incorporates two separate documents; a Framework Response Plan outlining roles and responsibilities together with systems and structures in place for responding to an outbreak of exotic animal disease; and an Overview of Emergency Preparedness, which provides more detailed information relating to our emergency preparedness work and operational arrangements for response.

You may comment on any aspect of the plan. The closing date for responses to this consultation is 10 October 2008. The consultation package includes:

• Consultation letter
• List of consultees
• Defra's Framework Response Plan for Exotic Animal Diseases (PDF 660 KB)
• Defra's Overview of Emergency Preparedness for Exotic Animal Diseases (PDF 459 KB)
• Table of changes from the previous version (PDF 29 KB)

See also:

• Existing Contingency Plan for Exotic Animal Diseases

European Commission Issues Call for Proposals to Identify Projects on EU Civil Protection Rapid Response Capability (06/05/08) The European Commission, Directorate-General for Environment, Civil Protection Unit, is launching a Call for Proposals with the aim of identifying projects on an EU civil protection rapid response capability which might be eligible for financial support. This financial support will take the form of grants. The fields concerned, the nature and content of the actions and the financing conditions are set out in the relevant Grant Application Guide, which also contains detailed instructions on where and when to submit a proposal.

The guide, as well as the relevant grant application forms can be downloaded from the Europa Web site. The Calls for proposals is set within the Civil Protection Financial Instrument (CPFI) programme which aims to support and complement the efforts of the Member States for the protection, primarily of people but also of the environment and property, including cultural heritage, in the event of natural and man-made disasters, acts of terrorism and technological, radiological or environmental accidents and to facilitate reinforced cooperation between the Member States in the field of civil protection.

Proposals must be sent to the Commission to the address indicated in the Grant Application Guide no later than 22nd August 2008.

The procedure for the award of grants (which is strictly confidential) is scheduled as follows:

1. Receipt, recording and acknowledgement of receipt by the Commission,
2. Appraisal of the proposals by the Commission,
3. Award decision and notification of the result to the applicants.

IAEM Europa Signs Memorandum of Partnership with UK's Emergency Planning College (06/04/08) IAEM Europa is very pleased to announce that it has signed an MOP with the Cabinet Office Emergency Planning College based in Easingwold, Yorkshire, England. The EPC is a centre of excellence with a global reputation for providing emergency management training of the highest quality. IAEM Europa has been working with the EPC and CEM Commission to put in place recognition of EM contact hours for the courses delivered by the college. This will hopefully support the development of a wider understanding of the CEM(R) in the UK and the other parts of the world in which the EPC delivers training. Additionally it is hoped that the EPC will introduce IAEM to their foreign students to assist us in our continuing international growth. Information about the EPC can be found at: www.epcollege.gov.uk.

Exercise UUSIMAA 2008 to be Conducted in Finland by Teams from 25 Nations (05/29/08) A consequence management field exercise organized by the Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC) in co-operation with Finland, the host nation, will be conducted in June 2008. All together, more than 110 representatives of 25 EAPC nations participated in the Exercise Planning Conference in April. In addition, the Civil Protection Committee, the Joint Medical Committee, the Food and Agricultural Planning Committee, and the Planning Board for Inland Surface Transport from Finland were represented. The main objective of the conference was to draft the Injects List for the field activities and to finalize host nation support arrangements for the exercise. It was also important to agree on other aspects of the exercise such as training, observers’ programme, demonstrations and seminars. According to the final confirmations 25 EAPC nations will deploy civilian and/or military teams with approximately 1100 personnel to participate in the exercise that starts on 31st May. Learn more

European Cross-Border Flood Simulation Exercise "EU-ALBIS 2008" Starts Today (05/16/08)The European Commission is co-financing a simulation exercise organised by Germany and the Czech Republic that simulates the cross-border floods that occurred along the river Elbe in the 2002 and 2006. Learn more.
 

IAEM Europa Signs Memorandum of Partnership with Seguranca em Proteccao Civil (04/23/08) Seguranca em Proteccao Civil is Portugals leading emergency management publication. The memorandum of partnership formalises their agreement to work together to promote IAEM and the principles of emergency management within the civil protection community of Portugal.

News Release: IAEM Europa Announces the Formation of the First IAEM Student Chapter Outside of North America (04/15/08) Welcome to our 20th IAEM student chapter, the Instituto Politecnico de Castelo Branco (IPCB) Chapter.

Ireland Announces Its Preparedness (04/15/08) Taoiseach Bertie Ahern today said Ireland had "comprehensive" emergency plans in place for man-made or natural disasters. A public awareness campaign on emergency planning for man-made or natural disasters was unveiled today by the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea. Speaking this afternoon, the Taoiseach said: "At the core of this campaign is the goal of awareness and reassurance. It is not to cause undue concern that the Government believes an emergency is any more likely now than in the past. It is simply to tell the public that we have comprehensive plans in place. Ireland has a very good track record in this area. Our handling of the foot-and-mouth disease for example, has shown us to be in the forefront in this field."

A handbook, Preparing for Major Emergencies - An Introduction, will be delivered to households over the next fortnight. There will also be an advertising campaign urging people to read the booklet, which is also published on www.emergencyplanning.ie, and to keep it for reference.

It offers advice on dealing with scenarios such as flooding, dangerous chemical spills, nuclear incidents, and pandemic influenza. The campaign is a response to the findings of market research that showed the public wanted reassurance the Government had plans ready.

The Department of Health recently decided not to reissue householders with iodine tablets that were sent to every home in the State in 2002 for taking in the event of a major nuclear accident. The tablets were issued after Joe Jacob, then minister of state with responsibility for nuclear safety, outlined on radio the State's strategy to deal with any incident at Sellafeld.

IAEM Europa Signs Memorandum of Partnership with Instituto Politécnico de Castelo Branco, Escola Superior Agrária, Portugal (04/10/08) Instituto Politécnico de Castelo Branco is a leading university in Portugal for emergency and disaster management studies. The knowledge base that this represents in emergency management in Portugal is a significant contribution to the development of future emergency managers. IAEM Europa is therefore very pleased to recognise, through a memorandum of partnership, the university as a contributor to the profession. Both parties to the MOP will work to further develop emergency management as a profession in Portugal.

Upcoming EU FIRE 5 Exercise in Sardinia Will Be One of the European Union's Largest Ever Multinational Civil Protection Exercises (04/08/08) The EU FIRE 5 Exercise, slated for Apr. 16-19 in Sardinia, is a large-scale simulation exercise that will involve the forest firefighting forces of five countries – France, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain. This exercise is being held within the context of the Community Civil Protection Mechanism. This is one of the EU's largest ever multinational civil protection exercises and follows last year's summer of devastating forest fires. With a major drought in Spain and long-term forecasts of another long dry summer for the northern edge of the Mediterranean, this exercise is timed as a rehearsal of mutual aid arrangements amongst member states.

EU and Ukraine Civil Protection Chiefs Discuss Proposals for Further Cooperation on Disaster Response (03/28/08) Stavros Dimas, Commissioner for Environment, on Mar. 28 met with Volodymyr Shandra, the Ukrainian Minister for Emergency Services, to discuss further cooperation between the EU and Ukraine on disaster response. The European Commission and Ukraine signed an arrangement in 2007 providing for the exchange of information during emergencies. The Commissioner and the Minister were discussing the possibility of broadening this arrangement to include wider cooperation in civil protection in areas such as collaboration on environmental assessment, mutual assistance during emergencies and training opportunities.  The arrangement was first tested in November 2007, when assistance was provided to Ukraine through the Community Civil Protection Mechanism. A severe storm in the Kerch Strait resulted in the spillage of 1300 tons of black oil and 6800 tons of industrial sulphur. The European Commission's Civil Protection Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC) deployed a number of experts through the Mechanism. This expert team, which also included a UN representative, assisted the Ukrainian authorities in the preparation of an environmental impact assessment.  During his visit to Brussels, the Ukrainian Minister will also be attending a lessons learnt meeting on this disaster.

EU Sends Expert Team from its Monitoring and Information Centre to Assist with Floods In Ecuador (03/11/08) The European Commission, through the Community Civil Protection Mechanism and its Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC), has sent an expert team to Guayaquil, Ecuador. Its task is to help the Ecuadorian Civil Defence and the United Nations deal with the floods that have ravaged the country for the past 13 weeks. The MIC team will help coordinate the response to the disaster, assist with logistical management, evaluate the damage caused by the floods and provide technical expertise in updating emergency plans. The Community Civil Protection Mechanism can provide assistance anywhere in the world in response to a request.

The emergency in Ecuador is far from over," said Stavros Dimas, Commissioner for the Environment and Civil Protection. "The European Commission has been monitoring the situation on the ground through the MIC, and was therefore ready to react when the request for assistance arrived. Our expertise has been highly valued in similar emergencies in recent years, and as ever we will do all we can to assist the people of Ecuador".

Ecuador has been hit by the heaviest rains in 25 years on account of the La Niña phenomenon, resulting in large-scale flooding in 13 of the country's 24 provinces, with the loss of 19 lives. The rains are expected to continue until April. The floods have affected between 250 000 to 300 000 people so far, of whom some 100 000 are in need of immediate assistance. More than 13 000 persons are housed in temporary shelters. The scale of the emergency prompted the Ecuadorian Civil Defence to contact the European Commission's disaster-response office - the Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC) - through the EC Delegation in Quito.

In response to the request, the MIC deployed on Sunday an expert team on site. The expert team consists of five experts from France, Germany, Austria, Sweden and Spain as well as a MIC liaison officer. The team will have its headquarters in the Regional Emergency Coordination Committee in Guayaquil, the regional coordination office in the affected region. The team will cooperate closely with the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid office (DG ECHO) and the UNDAC (United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination) team on site.

The Community Mechanism is intended to improve cooperation on civil protection assistance operations. It ensures the coordination of assistance, providing prompt support and assisting any country inside or outside the European Union that needs of help. The main objective is to provide the best possible response and preparedness when a major emergency arises. These activities are coordinated by the Commission through its Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC), located in DG Environment's Civil Protection Unit.

Thirty states participate in the Community Mechanism, and the resulting pool of resources can be made available to disaster-stricken countries all over the world.

Since the Mechanism became operational in 2002, it has been activated for a number of disasters around the world. These have included the 2004 tsunami in South East Asia, the 2005 forest fires in Portugal, flooding in Bulgaria and Romania, Hurricane Katrina in the US, the earthquake in Pakistan in 2005 and the Lebanon crisis in 2006. In 2007 the Mechanism was activated for floods in Bolivia, as well as for forest fires in Italy, Greece and Cyprus. More recently the Mechanism was activated for oil spills in Ukraine and South Korea as well as an earthquake in Kyrgyzstan.

UK Set to Receive Funds from EU to Assist in Repairing Damages from 2007 Floods (03/11/08) The UK is to receive about £120m from the EU to help repair damage caused by heavy floods in England last summer, it is expected to be confirmed later. The UK applied for money from the EU Solidarity Fund, to cover costs like rescue services and temporary housing.
The rules stipulate it must be spent by public bodies such as local authorities or ambulance trusts. About 48,000 homes and 7,000 businesses were flooded in south-west England, the Midlands, Yorkshire and Humberside. The floods were also linked to the deaths of 13 people.
Last month local government minster John Healey confirmed that thousands of families had still been unable to return home, more than six months later. Insurance claims have topped £3bn. Councils in those areas have already received more than £18.4m in "recovery grants" so far.

The European Commission has already recommended that the money be given to the UK. If a vote by MEPs later approves the payout and the money is transferred to the Treasury, it will be the UK's first successful application to the EU Solidarity Fund, which was set up in 2002.

Danuta Hubner, the European commissioner for regional policy, said the money would help put "basic infrastructure back in working order".

But it will not go towards costs borne by insurers - such as costs of damaged homes and cars. Instead it will go towards reimbursing costs for things like emergency repairs to gas, water, electricity services and phone lines and general cleaning up. It must be spent within 12 months and will have to be accounted for in detail. Once the money is received, a consultation process will begin, to decide the best way to allocate the funding. The Local Government Association, which represents councils, says it expects a lot of interest from its members for a share of the money.

EU To Strengthen Disaster Response Preparedness (03/07/08) The European Commission has adopted a communication on reinforcing the European Union's disaster response capacity. In order to rise to the changing challenges posed by natural and man-made disasters, the communication proposes that the European Union strengthens its abilities at home and abroad to provide civil protection and humanitarian assistance. As a first step, the Commission has undertaken a screening exercise of all its existing resources and has developed an action plan of specific measures to be implemented before the end of 2008.

The President of the Commission José Manuel Barroso stated: "We can only protect our citizens and help others if we act together in solidarity. When responding to such disasters, Europe, as in so many other ways, is strongest when we combine our capacities and profit from our diversity and different expertise.”

Today's threats are often of a cross-border nature and require multilateral and coordinated responses. At the same time boundaries between internal and external threats are increasingly blurred: the Indian Ocean Tsunami affected European tourists as well as the local populations, floods and fires affect both EU Member States and neighbouring countries, and epidemics can spread from one continent to another. The EC believes that a new approach to disaster response is needed to respond to these changes.

The communication that has been adopted includes the following proposals:

• To transform the European Union's civil protection mechanism (Monitoring and Information Centre-MIC) into a genuine operational centre and beef it up with reserve resources, i.e. stand by modules or complementary European resources.
• To reinforce humanitarian aid by filling existing delivery gaps, strengthening the global response capacity (in particular UN and Red Cross movement) and improving coordination with the various humanitarian actors.
• To set up a European-wide Disaster Response Training Network building on the experience of the Member States in civil protection training.
• To improve disaster preparedness measures both within the EU and in third countries, early warning systems (e.g. for tsunamis in the Mediterranean) and use of the single European Emergency System, 112.
• A strong call for enhanced inter-institutional cooperation with deployment, where appropriate, of joint planning and operational teams to ‘deal with particular disasters involving different instruments’.

The communication deliberately uses the term ‘disaster’ in a broad sense to cover both natural and man-made disasters, taking place within and/or outside the European Union. A copy of the communication can be found here.

EU Awards Funding to New Civil Protection Project (01/15/08) The European Commission has awarded grants worth over 4 million euros (5.9 million U.S. dollars) to civil protection projects and large-scale pan-European simulation exercises, said the commission Monday. Seven simulation exercises to be led by Britain, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy and Sweden have been awarded 2.6 million euros (3.8 million dollars). The exercises will feature a variety of scenarios, including earthquakes and cross-border flooding, said the commission, the executive body of the European Union (EU). Six selected civil protection projects will share 1.47 million euros (2.17 million dollars) in funding. They are led by organizations from five European countries -- Greece, Sweden, Denmark, Spain and Belgium. The projects cover fighting forest fires; preparing the public for natural disasters; helping municipalities prepare for climate change and resulting floods; cooperation between European volunteer organizations during emergencies; training professional and volunteer fire-fighters, local civil protection services and volunteer groups for common emergencies; and disseminating the results of previous EU civil protection activities to improve community resilience. The six projects, which also include organizations from Britain, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, Italy and Portugal, are due to be completed by the end of 2009.

UK Government Responds to Pitt Report (01/04/08) UK Secretary of State for the Environment Hilary Benn has accepted the urgent recommendations put forward in Sir Michael Pitt's interim report into the summer floods, on behalf of the government. Mr Benn pledged to work with all of the organisations involved in responding to the summer floods, in order to take forward the report's proposals.

Welcoming the report, Hilary Benn said: "The summer floods affected huge numbers of people across England, many of whom are still living with the devastating after affects, and are not able to get back into their homes. My particular sympathies are, of course, with the families of those who lost their lives during the floods.

"The interim report confirms the extreme nature of the weather that gave rise to the floods and acknowledges the efforts that were made by everyone engaged in responding. It identifies a number of urgent steps which it recommends should be taken straight away. These relate particularly to monitoring of specific flood risks, better information sharing and the practicalities of emergency response. The Government agrees with all of the urgent recommendations and will work with all organisations involved in taking them forward as quickly as possible.

"Earlier this year I announced a significant increase in funding for flood and coastal erosion risk management. This will rise from its current level of £600m, to £650m in 2008-09, £700m in 2009-10 and £800 million in 2010-11. These record levels of investment will be supported by the establishment of new outcome measures to secure best value for investment and, through the Environment Agency, and considering whether a Long Term Investment Strategy for the next twenty years is appropriate for this policy area."

The report also sets out a larger number of interim conclusions, on which Sir Michael Pitt is seeking views before he publishes his final report. The government will carefully consider these and respond to him in due course. Defra, along with other government departments, is already taking action to address a number of the key issues raised in the report. In a statement published in response to Pitt, Defra listed these as:

• Developing proposals for better management of surface water, including resolving the current complex institutional arrangements and use of sustainable drainage systems, both of which we shall be considering early in the new year as part of our new water strategy.
• Finalising national guidance on multi-agency flood planning, upon which we will shortly be consulting key organisations before it is made more widely available in the new year.
• We have revised our flood emergency procedures to set out more clearly how Defra, as lead government department, will manage serious flooding in conjunction with the Environment Agency and operational responders on the ground. These procedures were tested during the East coast tidal surge on 9th November and we have refined them further after that event.
• Working with Water UK and water companies in England to help ensure a wider take up of the more immediate and practical lessons from the water supply emergency in Gloucestershire. These will now be followed up in the light of the specific recommendations in the Report, such as a review of the minimum supply requirement for water to be provided in the event of the loss of the piped supply.
• The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has asked electricity network operators to review the resilience of electricity substations to flooding. This work is underway under the leadership of the Energy Networks Association.
• Developing a strategic overview role for the Environment Agency for all sources of flooding and coastal erosion.
• Sir Ken Knight, the Government's Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser, is in the final stages of a review looking at the operational response and role of the Fire and Rescue Service during national flooding incidents. His review will consider, amongst other issues, the need for inter-operability between Fire and Rescue Services training and equipment and that of other local responders.

The Pitt Review interim report can be found at: http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/thepittreview

Hilary Benn's written ministerial statement in response to the report can be found at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/ministers/statements/default.asp

Emergency Managers Honoured in UK New Year's Honours List (12/30/07) HM The Queen has awarded honours to the following Emergency Managers in the 2008 New Year's Honours:

ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE (OBE)

• Michael Charles Gilbert, lately Assistant Director, Energy Resilience Directorate. For services to the Gas and Electricity Industries. Now Director Energy Resilience at Steelhenge Consulting Ltd. www.steelhenge.co.uk

MEMBER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE (MBE)

• Michael Herriot, Emergency Planning General Manager, Scottish Ambulance Service. For services to Healthcare.  www.scottishambulance.com
• John Joseph Anthony Kelly, County Emergency Planning Officer, Oxfordshire County Council. For services to Local Government. www.oxfordshire.gov.uk

Additionally, a number of emergency services personnel and utilities emergency responders were honoured for their efforts during the 2007 Summer Floods.

IAEM Europa and the Wessex Institute of Technology Sign a Memorandum of Partnership (12/19/07) Wessex Institute of Technology has stated its aim is to develop a knowledge transfer mechanism, particularly directed toward the exchange of information between academics and professional users within disaster management. They are running a number of conferences in 2008 that have been added to the IAEM Events Calendar. IAEM Europa is hoping to run CEM® Workshops at three of those events: one in England, one in Spain, and one in Greece.

Pitt Review Issued With Learning Lessons From the 2007 UK Floods (12/17/07) Four months ago, Sir Michael Pitt, Chairman of the South West Strategic Health Authority, was asked by Ministers to conduct an independent review of the flooding emergency that took place in June and July this year. Sir Michael's interim report on the causes and consequences of the floods has now been published. Sir Michael is launching this report in London, Hull, Sheffield and Gloucester. The interim report contains urgent recommendations which Sir Michael believes should be implemented in order to minimise the impact of any flooding in the near future. It will also map out the direction for the remainder of the Review, and act as a consultation document prior to publication of the final document in the summer of 2008. PRESS RELEASE

EU/UN/SOUTH KOREA: European Commission and United Nations to Deploy a Joint Expert Team to South Korea Following Oil Spill (12/15/07) A team of marine pollution and civil protection assessment experts are being deployed to South Korea following a request made by the country to the European Commission's Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC) on 12 December. Around 10,500 tonnes of crude oil were spilt some eight kilometres off Malipo in the Taean district, off Korea's west coast. The joint expert team, led by the United Nations, will be composed of MIC experts, United Nations officials and a representative from the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA). South Korea has also requested material assistance and equipment. "South Korea may be facing one of the worst pollution disasters in its history. In a world where environmental tragedies have potentially global consequences, it is encouraging to see nations working together to mitigate the effects of disasters through mutual sharing of know-how and resources. Our deployment of a joint team with the UN is an excellent illustration of that," said Stavros Dimas, Commissioner responsible for Environment and Civil Protection.

IAEM Europa Supports IJOCC 2008 (11/30/07) IAEM Europa supports the International Joint Operations Command Conference (IJOCC 2008) on "Managing Major Emergencies," set for Apr. 16-17, 2008 at London Fire Brigade Headquarters. IJOCC is targeted toward senior commanders from the police, fire, ambulance and other emergency services; emergency managers and planners; senior commanders from public safety organisations; community protection professionals; homeland defence professionals; risk managers; public health professionals; and critical infrastructure stakeholders. The conference raises and sets strategic and tactical command standards, as well as providing an international multi-agency networking opportunity.
  

IAEM Europa Signs a Memorandum of Partnership With the European Emergency Number Association (EENA) (11/23/07) IAEM Europa President Arthur Rabjohn and EENA Founder Olivier Paul-Morandini signed an MOP between their two organisations at the EU Civil Protection Forum in Brussels on Nov. 23, 2007. This MOP is the first step in a partnership that will see IAEM Europa represented on the EENA Forum and mirrors IAEM USA’s partnership with the U.S. National Emergency Number Association. Learn about EENA.

IAEM Europa Partners With Crisis Response Journal (11/19/07)

Crisis Response Journal has been a valued partner of IAEM Europa since its launch in March this year. This partnership has now been formalised with a Memorandum of Partnership between CRJ & IAEM Europa. It is both parties' hope that IAEM Europa members will contribute to this publication and work with the editorial team to share experiences and knowledge with the wider EM community.

Oil Pollution in the Black Sea; European Commission Responds (11/19/07) The European Commission has responded to a request for assistance from Ukraine through its Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC), which is the office responsible for civil protection and marine pollution actions. Ukraine requires expertise to assist its own authorities in evaluating the environmental impact of the oil pollution in the Kerch Strait.

Stavros Dimas, Commissioner responsible for the Environment and Civil Protection stated "This situation has led to a tragic loss of life and has caused environmental damage. I would like to express sympathy to those families that have been affected. We are ready to respond to Ukraine in providing the experts it requires. By assisting the Ukrainian authorities we will work to address the environmental damage caused by the impact of the disaster in the Kerch Strait."

The experts, made available to the MIC by Denmark, Latvia, Italy, France and Portugal will both assess environmental impacts and advise on immediate remediation needs. The team, which will be joined by a liaison officer from UN OCHA/UNEP, is scheduled to arrive in Kiev today, less than 48 hours after the Ukrainian request for assistance.

The MIC has been monitoring the development of events in this maritime region that connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Azov. Violent storms have dispersed oil pollutants affecting communities living in the region as well as the environment. The pollution was caused by the sinking of several ships containing oil and sulphur, and in addition to human casualties has also directly affected fauna and flora, with possible long-term impacts on the ecological quality of the affected natural habitats. The MIC has also been in contact with Russia.

Over the last number of years, the MIC has gained considerable experience in combating marine pollution incidents, having been involved in crises such as the Prestige accident in Spain and the oil pollution caused by hostilities in Lebanon.

The European Commission has signed Administrative Arrangements on civil protection with Russia and Ukraine in May 2005 and in May 2007 respectively.

The European Commission has also been active in supporting multilateral initiatives on the protection of the Black Sea against pollution. For instance, it actively encourages the work of the Parties to the Convention on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution (Bucharest Convention), and the related Strategic Action Plan for the Rehabilitation and Protection of the Black Sea, working together under the auspices of the Commission on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution (the Black Sea Commission or BSC), in the light of the ambitions of the European Marine Strategy.

For more information on European civil protection and marine pollution visit http://ec.europa.eu/environment/civil/index.htm.

IAEM Europa Signs Memorandum of Partnership with the European Union's EROCIPS (10/26/07) IAEM Europa has agreed to a Memorandum of Partnership with the European Union's EROCIPS Project Partnership to support the sharing of information and tools developed by the project for emergency managers. EROCIPS stands for Emergency Response to Coastal Oil, Chemical and Inert Pollution from Shipping. Learn about EROCIPS.

IAEM President Mike Selves, CEM, Opens IAEM Europa AGM and Addresses IDER 2007 on UN Day of Disaster Reduction (10/10/07) IAEM President Mike Selves, CEM, opened the IAEM Europa Annual General Meeting today in London and delivered a keynote speech at IDER 2007 that addressed the core principles of emergency management. This opened a day of wide-ranging EM-related presentations at IDER (International Disaster & Emergency Resilience), an annual conference and exhibition where best practices and solutions to ensure readiness for, response to, recovery from and resilience for disasters and major emergencies, whether caused by nature, accident or terrorism are identified, implemented and shown. IDER is supported by the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), Crisis Response Journal, the Institute of Civil Defence & Disaster Studies (ICDDS) and European Training & Simulation Association (ETSA). Learn more about IDER 2007.
  

EU To Hold Second Civil Protection Forum, Brussels, Nov. 22-23, 2007. In times where natural and manmade disasters are on the increase, the debate on how to prevent, prepare for and respond to disasters never seems to cease. Moreover the adoption of new laws adds flavour to the subject. The Second Civil Protection Forum aims to bring together some 500 people involved or interested in civil protection. The forum will provide participants with a platform for the exchange of ideas and an opportunity to meet other people sharing the same interest or profession.

Who is the forum for?

The forum aims to address anyone interested in civil protection - other EU institutions; national civil protection authorities; local authorities; municipalities; civil protection intervention teams; staff of operational centres; academics; media and journalists; non-governmental organisations; international, national and local associations; services connected to civil protection such as police forces, health and education services; humanitarian aid organisations; volunteers; and the public at large.

How is it organised?

The forum, which will be held in Brussels, will have three keynote sessions as well as a number of specialised panel sessions. For full details please go to the conference programme page. In addition, the forum will feature some 50 exhibitors in indoor facilities and a smaller host of outdoor exhibitors. Entry to the forum premises and the indoor exhibition is strictly subject to registration.

IAEM Europa President Invited to Attend Royal United Services Institute's Fourth Annual Resilience Conference (09/12/07) Arthur Rabjohn, IAEM Europa President, has been invited to attend the Royal United Services Institute for Defense and Security Studies fourth annual resilience conference. The conference, set for Sept. 19-20, 2007, in London, will provide the opportunity to examine the current position of the UK’s resilience, explore the mechanisms and organizations that contribute to delivering resilience, and consider the future directions that resilience planning and preparation could and should take. The conference will explore the diversity of the resilience landscape, reflecting the need for a holistic, consistent and enduring approach, which incorporates the public, private and voluntary sectors. Learn more.

CDERA Signs Agreement with Government of Austria on Regional Earthquake Readiness (08/31/07) The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA) on Aug. 31 signed an agreement with the Government of Austria to support earthquake readiness programmes in at-risk CDERA participating states. The focus of the programme at the national and regional levels will be on earthquake preparedness planning, improving contingency plans, and promoting a regionwide earthquake awareness campaign. Speaking at the signing ceremony at the CDERA Coordinating Unit in Manor Lodge, St. Michael Ambassador Marianne DaCosta said, "Following the European Union Latin American Summit in May last year, the Government of Austria has tried to shape the rising interest in the region and to have more of a presence in the Caribbean. We know that this funding of €350,000 (US$500,000) is not enough but it is a start." Learn more.

EU Civil Protection Involved in Largest Operational Response Since its Inception in 2001 as the Fight Continues to Extinguish Greek Forest Fires (08/29/07) Seven fire-fighting Canadair planes supplied by France, Italy and Spain are currently helping Greece combat the devastating fires that broke out on Friday and have claimed at least 50 lives. Another Canadair from Portugal arrives today, and offers for help are still coming in from the members of the Community Mechanism for Civil Protection coordinated by the European Commission. Nine specialised helicopters are also being despatched.

EU To Send Civil Protection Team to Peru After Pledging Immediate Earthquake Aid (08/17/07) The European Commission announced on Aug. 17 that it was to send a team of civil protection experts to the site of the Aug. 15 earthquake in Peru, hours after it pledged 1 million euros ($1.34 million) in immediate aid. "The European Commission has activated its civil protection mechanism's monitoring information center following the international call for assistance issued yesterday by Peru," Commission spokesman Philip Tod told journalists.

The center "will send a team of experts to Peru to assess the needs on the ground and identify how European civil protection can contribute to overall relief efforts," he added. The decision comes less than a day after the Commission announced plans to donate an estimated 1 million euros in immediate aid via its humanitarian department, ECHO, and partners on the ground such as the Red Cross and UN aid agencies. Learn more.

EU Adopts Progress Report on Implementation of Seveso II Directive on Control of Major Accident Hazards Involving Dangerous Substances (08/15/07) The European Commission adopted on Aug. 14, 2007, a report assessing progress made with the implementation of the Seveso II Directive on the control of major accident hazards involving dangerous substances. The report summarises the information provided by 25 member states for the period of 2003-2005. Read more.

IAEM Europa Will Take Part in Second Civil Protection Forum, Nov. 22-23, Brussels (07/20/07) In times where natural and manmade disasters are on the increase, the debate on how to prevent, prepare for and respond to disasters never seems to cease. Moreover, the adoption of new laws adds flavour to the subject. The Second Civil Protection Forum aims to bring together some 500 people involved or interested in civil protection. The forum will provide participants with a platform for the exchange of ideas and an opportunity to meet other people sharing the same interest or profession.

Who is the forum for?

The forum aims to address anyone interested in civil protection - other EU institutions; national civil protection authorities; local authorities; municipalities; civil protection intervention teams; staff of operational centres; academics; media and journalists; non-governmental organisations; international, national and local associations; services connected to civil protection such as police forces, health and education services; humanitarian aid organisations; volunteers; and the public at large.

How is it organised?

The forum, which will be held in Brussels, will have three keynote sessions as well as a number of specialised panel sessions. For full details please go to the conference programme page. In addition, the forum will feature some 50 exhibitors in indoor facilities and a smaller host of outdoor exhibitors. Entry to the forum premises and the indoor exhibition is strictly subject to registration.

European Union Responds Swiftly to Combat Forest Fires in Greece (06/28/07) Early in the evening of 27 June 2007, Greece requested civil protection assistance from its European partners. The request triggered a rapid reaction from the European Commission's Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC). Read more.

UK Releases Second Draft of BS 25999 Business Continuity Standard for Comment (06/24/07) Have your say! The BSI want to hear your views on this draft before it is published as a British Standard. BS 25999-2 DPC will specify requirements for establishing, implementing, operating, monitoring, reviewing, exercising, maintaining and improving a documented Business Continuity Management System (BCMS) within the context of managing an organization’s overall business risks. The requirements specified in this British Standard will be generic and intended to be applicable to all organizations (or parts there of), regardless of type, size and nature of business. The extent of application of these requirements depends on the organization's operating environment and complexity.

Therefore, the design and implementation of a BCMS to meet the requirements of this standard will be influenced by regulatory, customer and business requirements, the products and services, the processes employed and the size and structure of the organization. It will not be the intent of this British Standard to imply uniformity in the structure of a BCMS but for an organization to design a BCMS to be appropriate to its needs and that meets its stakeholder’s requirements. This British Standard can be used by internal and external parties, including certification bodies, to assess an organization’s ability to meet its own business continuity needs, as well as any customer, legal or regulatory needs.

Your comments on this draft are welcome and will assist in the preparation of the consequent British Standard.  If no comments are received to the contrary, this draft may be implemented unchanged as a British Standard.

Please note this draft is NOT the FINAL version of BS 25999-2. This document is a draft for public comment and its contents may be subject to change. It is NOT a British Standard until it has been published as such. Click here to download the FREE draft of BS 25999-2 DPC and the comments form.

UK Hit by Worst Storms in a Decade (06/21/07) Storms wreaked havoc across the country yesterday as torrential rain brought power cuts, travel chaos and some of the worst flooding for a decade.
Some were trapped in their cars and homes by flash floods while thousands of others were left without electricity after lightning strikes overnight knocked out overhead lines.
 
The worst affected areas were either side of the England-Wales border, parts of eastern England and the coastal areas of Kent, which recorded two inches of rain in as many hours. Part of the Severn Valley Railway was washed away, flood waters rose to the height of car doors in Herefordshire and Worcestershire, and flights at Bristol airport had to be cancelled or diverted when power failed.
 
A spokesman for the fire service in Shropshire, where about 50 people at the village of Hampton Loade on the Severn were stranded for most of the day after a road was washed away, described it as "an extraordinary night." details here

Finland Announces Major Investment in Civil Protection (06/21/07) A new EUR160 million technology programme on safety and security has been launched by Tekes, the Finnish National Technology Agency. The programme's priorities are in line with those of the new 'Security' thematic area of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). "'Finland has a lot of excellent knowledge and technologies that can be turned into international business in the safety and security market," says Tekes' Senior Technology Adviser Mikko Moisio.

Over the next seven years, the programme will provide funding to research and development in a whole host of areas, from information safety, industrial production processes and transport and logistics, to food safety, environmental monitoring and crisis management. In terms of who pays what, a total of €80 million will be provided by Tekes, while businesses are expected to invest the remaining half. In the first year though, the focus will be on the development of systems used in crisis situations, safety and security technologies related to the mobility of goods and people, methods of risk assessment and the development of safety and security sector business models. Because of rapid developments in security, the programme will be reviewed every year.

The priorities outlined in the new programme reflect those in the 'Security' programme of FP7. A total of €1.4 billion is earmarked for this thematic area, which will include funding for the development of technology solutions for civil protection, bio-security, protection against crime and terrorism, as well as technologies, equipment, tools and methods for protecting Europe's border controls such as at land and coastal borders. Technologies and communication; coordination in support of civil, humanitarian and rescue tasks; improving security systems integration; and interconnectivity and interoperability will also benefit from funding. more information about Tekes programme | more information on funding for security research under FP7

UK Releases Guidance for Implementing Public Warning Requirements Under the Civil Contingencies Act (06/21/07) This introduces two new guides designed to assist Local Resilience Forums take forward the statutory requirement placed on Category 1 Responders to advise the public of the risk of an emergency occurring, and to warn and inform the public in the event of an emergency.

These informal guidance notes have been created by practitioners from the National Steering Committee for Warning & Informing the Public (NSCWIP) in conjunction with Practitioners' Good Practice Group led by the Civil Contingencies Secretariat (CCS) and are part of the work CCS is doing to support local responders in their implementation of the newer aspects of the Act.

• The The Ten Step Cycle – an informal guidance note [PDF, 15 pages, 124KB] provides a clear and comprehensive set of directions for establishing local warning and informing arrangements based on the Community Risk Register. It focuses on key activities for the work, including establishing a public advice and warning sub-group, selection of lead responders, audience identification, stakeholder consultation, exercising, and review. Each activity is explained and, where appropriate, examples of how an LRF have undertaken it are given.

• The Lead Responder Protocol [PDF, 18 pages, 140KB] picks up Step 3 of the Cycle and provides a tested methodology for selecting and agreeing lead responders. This is in keeping with Regulations which allow for the duty on each Category 1 Responder to be cut back by the identification of one organisation to take lead responsibility for maintaining arrangements to warn in regard to a particular emergency.

Plans are to further develop these informal guidance notes with the input of users, so reports of experiences in using them and any ideas for improvement would be very welcome. Send feedback and suggestions to ccact@cabinetoffice. x.gsi.gov.uk.

EU Makes Significant Decisions About Civil Protection Within Member States (06/18/07) This week the Council of the European Union adopted and released significant decisions with regard to cooperation and coordination for civil protection within the member states. These include greater definition of the EU Monitoring and Information Centre's role in coordinating response by the EU to disasters. The releases include conclusions on preparedness for decontamination of casualties from CBRN (WMD) incidents. Read the details of these decisions.

Major Disaster Simulation Exercise Tests the Response Capabilities of Eight EU Countries (06/07/07) A large-scale multi-disaster simulation exercise, EULUX 2007, kicks off today in Luxembourg until June 9. The exercise will test the disaster response capabilities of eight European countries, following a series of simulated incidents which will make necessary international assistance through the Community mechanism for civil protection. EULUX 2007 is organized by Luxembourg together with Belgium, France, and Germany and is being held with the support of the European Commission, which manages the Community civil protection mechanism. The exercise will also involve civil protection teams or experts from Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland and Portugal. The Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC), the Commission's body for dealing with such disasters, will facilitate the coordination of the international teams as it would do in a real emergency. The European Commission will finance 75% of the eligible costs of the exercise. See the exercise Web site.

Call for Proposals: Civil Protection Financial Instrument - Prevention and Other Actions (06/07/07) Under a new financial framework, the previous funding program, offering funding opportunities in the field of civil protection under the Directorate General for Environment (through the Community Action Programme) has been replaced with a new annual program. Each year there will be a thematic priority covering the program. In 2007, the thematic priority is climate change, in particular in relation to natural disasters. Under the thematic priority, there are four operational objectives:

1. Enhancing the preparedness of the professional and volunteer civil protection services operating in the member states;
2. Enhancing the preparedness of the public in case of emergencies in the member states;
3. Prevention;
4. Dissemination, promotion and implementation of project results (for completed EU-funded projects).

Project proposals must focus on one of the objectives and must demonstrate European added-value (including involving organizations in more than one member state). Funding is available for up to 75% of the eligible costs or a maximum of 500,000 euro. The deadline for applications is Aug. 1, 2007.

Information on the funding program, the eligibility criteria and financing is available here. Further questions on the funding program should be addressed to the Civil Protection Unit at the Commission, at env-a3@ec.europa-eu.

IAEM Europa Will Be Part of the Emergency Services Show 2007 (06/04/07) IAEM Europa will have a booth at the Emergency Services Show 2007, Nov. 28-29, 2007, Stoneleigh Park, Coventry, England. From terrorist incidents to floods, fires and road traffic accidents, most civil emergencies call for multi-agency collaboration. The Emergency Services Show 2007 is the definitive event for promoting multi agency collaboration within the UK’s emergency services. Conference Site

IAEM Europa Representative Appointed to IAEM Colleges and Universities Committee (05/30/07) Tony Southern has been appointed as the IAEM Europa representative to the IAEM Colleges and Universities Committee. His contact details are: Tony Southern, Director, Emergency Solutions Ltd., Stansted House, London Stansted Airport, CM24 1AE, England, (office) +44(0)8700 881999, (mobile) +44(0)7920 779399. Tony has considerable EM experience that will benefit the committee, and he has a daughter studying EM at University so has a vested interest!

IAEM Members Offered Significant Discount at UK GovNet Event in London (05/23/07) Every town and city in the world could be faced with a catastrophic event. Terrorist attack, fire, flood, continued drought, a viral pandemic or an attack on the critical infrastructure could have lasting and disastrous consequences for us all.

• Are our first responders fully equipped and trained?
• Do our residents know what is expected of them?
• Are the information and advice channels fully understood and prepared?
• Are we all working in isolation, one from another, or are the local authorities and businesses in the loop?
• Are we conducting a public debate that is honest and open about the issues, or is this in the "too hard to handle tray"?
• Who is in charge, and who talks to whom about what?

The Second Annual Homeland and Border Security Conferece: Prevention, Detection, Response and Protection is scheduled for July 3, 2007, at the Queen Elizabeth II Confrence Centre, Westminster, London. This is an important event for all of us involved in resilience and continuity: an opportunity for frank discussion with some of the leading contributors and exponents. For more details or to register for the Second Annual Homeland and Border Security Conference, please visit www.govnet.co.uk/security or call Sarah Williams on +44 (0) 161 211 3017. Places are very limited, so act quickly to avoid disappointment.

European Civil Protection Cooperation Extended to Ukraine (05/23/07) The European Commission and Ukraine on May 23 agreed to cooperate more closely on civil protection matters. The arrangement aims at improving the relations between the civil protection operational centers of the European Commission and Ukraine to manage natural and manmade disasters. The new arrangement is a significant step forward in disaster prevention and preparedness. It coincides with the 21st anniversary of the fateful Chernobyl accident. Read more.

Earthquake Shakes Parts of Kent in Southeast England (04/28/07) An earthquake with a magnitude of at least 4.3 has shaken buildings in parts of Kent and left thousands of homes without power, according to the BBC News. Structural damage such as cracked walls and fallen chimneys has been reported, as well 300 "possible gas escapes." The British Geological Survey has noted that the tremor was the largest British earthquake since the 2002 earthquake that hit Dudley. Lasting a few seconds, the earthquake was felt as far away as Essex, East Sussex and Suffolk. For more details, click here.

IAEM Europa Partners with Journal of Business Continuity and Emergency Planning (04/23/07) IAEM Europa is pleased to announce that it has formally agreed a partnership with the Journal of Business Continuity & Emergency Planning, published by Henry Stewart Publications. This partnership is not exclusive to JBCEP, but recognises the contribution this publication makes to the knowledge base of the emergency management profession through its circulation of papers and articles relating to two key activity areas within the EM profession.

The quarterly publication will include an IAEM Europa News Page and the IAEM Europa President, Arthur Rabjohn, will join the publications Editorial Board. IAEM members who subscribe to the publication will be able to assign four (4) additional online reader access privileges to colleagues from their workplace team. IAEM Europa will encourage its members to contribute papers and articles to this valuable journal to continue the growth of the EM knowledge base and the sharing of good practice, as well as lessons identified and learned.

IAEM Europa President Arthur Rabjohn Joins TJD International Editorial Board (04/05/07) IAEM Europa President Arthur Rabjohn has joined the International Editorial Board of the Turkish Journal of Disaster (TJD), which is now available in English. This journal provides valuable insight into emergency management and disaster response in Turkey, a country with a history of major disasters and international response efforts.

European Commission Environment Directorate Launches New Video on Civil Protection in Europe (04/05/07) The full video, "Coping in a Crisis: Europe's Civil Protection Mechanism," is available here. All European countries have a national civil protection plan in place to respond to disasters both at home and abroad. Historically, in the case of emergencies abroad, assistance from individual EU countries to states asking for help has tended to be bi-lateral. But in 2001, the system changed when Europe's approach to civil protection entered a brand new era. EU governments agreed to set up a mechanism that would allow them to pool their disaster relief resources, thereby creating one of the most comprehensive civil protection systems in the world. At the heart of this new, co-ordinated system is the Monitoring and Information Centre, from which global emergencies are managed. Based in Brussels and staffed round the clock, MIC is on stand-by 365 days a year to put together teams of experts from all over the EU, who have trained together regularly, to rush to disaster zones within hours of a request for help. The system will never stop disasters happening. But when they do, Europe is on call to make sure that the right equipment and expertise reaches those in need as fast as possible.

Beacon Awards for Emergency Planning in England Announced (03/26/07) The following local government authorities in England have been awarded Beacon Status for their work in the emergency management field of protecting their communities in relation to their statutory responsibilities under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004:

• East Riding of Yorkshire Council (lead) Kingston upon Hull City Council, North Lincolnshire Council (Joint),
• Essex County Council,
• Gloucestershire County Council (Lead) Cheltenham Borough Council, Cotswold District Council, Forest of Dean District Council, Gloucester City Council, Stroud District Council, Tewkesbury Borough Council (Joint),
• Hartlepool Borough Council (Lead) Middlesbrough Council, Redcar and Cleveland Council, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, Cleveland Fire Authority, Cleveland Police Authority (Joint)
• Hertfordshire County Council,
• Nottinghamshire County Council (Lead) Newark and Sherwood District Council (Joint)
• Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council

These authorities have robust risk assessment processes in place, which are used to inform priority setting and resource allocation. Risk assessment work is shared with and between partners to maximise the use of relevant expertise and minimise duplication between agencies. There is evidence of demonstrable progress in building the capabilities required to deal effectively with assessed risks. These authorities also demonstrate systematic, comprehensive and sustainable business continuity management arrangements, which will ensure that they can continue to deliver their critical functions in the event of an emergency. They all have a proven track record of dealing effectively with emergencies and business continuity management challenges. 

IAEM Europa Member Rosanna Briggs To Chair the EU Aware Project's Risk Communications Working Group (03/15/07) IAEM Europa member Rosanna Briggs, D/CEPO Essex CC (UK), will chair the Risk Communications Working Group of the European Union's AWARE Project. AWARE stands for "Attention to Warning and Readiness in Emergencies." The project's aim is to enhance trans-national co-operation between emergency managers from European Union and East European states, and to assist preparations for cross border emergencies.

European Commission Civil Protection Directorate Recognizes IAEM Europa (03/13/07) The office of Commissioner Dimas of the Civil Protection Directorate of the European Commission on General Environment has recognized the formation of IAEM Europa and will be informing the members of the European Community who are involved in civil protection about IAEM Europa. "By encouraging the development of disaster resistant communities, acting as clearing house and forum for a large spectrum of relevant issues, your organization provides an important contribution to improve disaster management," said Hervé Martin, Head of Unit. Download letter.

UK Publishes New Evacuation and Shelter Guidance (03/09/07) The guidance is intended to be used by emergency planners to develop scaleable and flexible plans that enable a co-ordinated multi-agency response in a crisis. It should be applied in conjunction with the non-statutory Emergency Response and Recovery and statutory Emergency Preparedness guidance. These documents are all available on the one-stop Web site for emergency planning practitioners at www.ukresilience.info. The guidance is designed to inform on the roles and responsibilities relating to evacuation and shelter; and give more information on the key issues relating to evacuation and shelter, including those that have proved problematic in past exercises or real-world events. It covers England and Wales only, though the key principles could be more widely applicable. Download guidance.