EU FloodEx 2009

NECESSITY | BACKGROUND | SCENARIO | COMMAND POST EXERCISE | FIELD EXERCISE | DATES AND LOCATIONS | EXERCISE GOALS

[bw]Necessity

Natural disasters such as floods exceed all bounds and can strike several countries at the same time. When such a scenario becomes reality, assistance at European level is essential. Operational preparation and practising of such scenarios is therefore of utmost importance.

Thorough preparation for a flood disaster is essential and in the past years, a lot of work has been done in the Netherlands in this regard and the necessary precautions have been taken. Having international partners that can support us in case of emergency is a reassuring thought. In order to make optimal use of means it is important to be thoroughly prepared on an international level as well. Optimum international cooperation is realised based on close cooperation agreements with the partners as well as by gaining actual practical experiences together. Meticulously practising a worst conceivable flood scenario allows for testing operational and strategic procedures, and therefore being even better prepared in case of emergency.

[bw]Background

Such a disaster is not based on theory; in the past, various countries in Europe were hit by flood disasters. One of the most devastating floods in recent European history was the 1953 flood in the North Sea area. On 31 January 1953, floods killed more than 2,100 people on the mainland of Belgium, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Over 200 people lost their lives at sea that day.

[bw]Scenario

The development of the scenario used for FloodEx is based on the experiences and input from the EU Flood Command project, the tragedy in 1953 as well as Worst Conceivable Flood figures. The scenario is based on a storm surge in the North Sea area. The whole North Sea area is hit by a depression with extreme wind velocities. Combined with the tide, this leads to extreme high water in Germany, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Eventually it will result in floods and wind damage.

[bw]Command Post Exercise (CPX)

On 16 and 17 September, an international command post exercise will be conducted. During the CPX, the process of requesting international assistance will be tested. The request and division of international assistance is the basis for rescue operations during an immediate threat. The starting point of this exercise is an immediate threat of a flood, which has been preceded by an evacuation by local and national emergency services. However, the size of the area makes assistance a necessity. Decision making and evacuation are specified in a “lead in” which leads to the starting point of the exercise.

All EU member states will be invited to participate in this exercise with their national contact points. The exercise itself will be held at national level, which means that for this exercise, no field units will be used and all participants will operate from their own crisis centres.

[bw]Field Exercise (FE)

From 22 to 25 September, an international Field Exercise will be conducted. The goal of the field exercise is to test the procedures during a request for assistance from the Netherlands to the EU. The Dutch handbook for incoming foreign assistance will be used for this purpose. The exercise is based on the European Community Civil Protection Mechanism, with the overall objective to improve and train in practice existing procedures for alerting, mobilising and dispatching international emergency services in case of a serious flood.

During the FE, the assistance commitments set out in the CPX are actually fulfilled. To this end, a flood in the province of North Holland will be simulated.

The foreign units are operationally deployed together with Dutch units in various locations in the northern part of North Holland (the Amstelmeer, the surroundings of Wervershoof and the Alkmaardermeer). Direction is in the hands of the crisis organisation for the North Holland North Safety Region.

[bw]Dates

22 September: arrival of foreign support teams in the Netherlands. Transfer to the municipality of Bergen (North Holland) where the base camp will be set up.

23 and 24 September: in combination with Dutch units, the foreign units will be operationally deployed at various locations in North Holland North.

25 September: departure of foreign support teams.

[bw]Exercise goals

• Testing operational and strategic procedures
• Testing EU assistance and modules
• Testing alarm systems and evacuation measures
• Testing the intervention of an EU assessment and on-site coordination team and the incoming foreign assistance (LEMA)
• Improving operational cooperation
• Determining joint civil protection cooperation