FIRST TABLE TOP EXERCISE

As part of the preparation for the full scale MIRG Exercise, both a table top exercise and a command post exercise will be organised. The table top exercise will take place in Arras, France on 8 and 9 March. Representatives of all MIRGs and of the EU will participate. During different training sessions, all participants will play their part in changing and challenging situations.

The main goal of this exercise is to test the communication lines from the first call until the situation is under control. In May similar scenarios will enacted in a command post exercise. In this particular exercise the participants all work from their home base, which makes it more realistic.

MIRG EX is an international joint partnership. Safety Region Zeeland (NL), which brings together crisis management, fire fighters and medical assistance, is lead partner. The other partners in the project are: the Fire Brigades of Antwerp, Beveren and Ghent (BE). These brigades are linked to important international ports, that accommodate large chemical production plants. Being able to effectively fight fires on board ships is simply essential. In addition to the fire brigades, the Federal Organisation of Public Civil Assistance in Brugge, the Agency for Maritime and Coastal Services-Shipping Assistance Division and the Maatschappij van de Brugse Zeehaven nv (Zeebrugge Port Authority) are partners in the MIRG-EX project. The French Service départemental d’incendie et de secours de Pas-de-Calais and the English Kent Fire and Rescue Service complete the partnership. Both are confronted with heavy traffic on the Channel and the North Sea. An incident may be just around the corner, but this doesn’t mean it can be easily reached let alone be dealt with. Working with similar teams on both shores, reduces will help to reduce response time.