In September 2016, MELOGIC project organised a large-scale emergency drill in Teruel. The emergency drill was one of the major outcomes of the project. First, we could test the algorithm model for the decision support tool that was developed during the project and second, the emergency drill in such scale was an exceptional event in a small town of Teruel and provided direct and indirect learning to the local government and civil society.
The emergency drill was an event of a single day but it was the results of more than a year of Caritas Teruel’s efforts, including various stakeholder meetings, trainings and education, and other publicising activities for civil protection logistics.
I will describe here about the event itself and our practical preparation on the spot.
Mock-up exercise (D-2)
Before the event, we had a mock-up exercise and used this time to make the final check of the event as well as to prepare for some of practicality related film-making.
We found the difference between available resources (vehicle types and numbers) for the emergency drill and what was assumed in the model as the algorithm inputs. Probably this will happen in most of the real cases and the decision support tools might help to make the quick fix. But during the mock-up exercise, we made some modification after a long discussion.
Checking the venue for the evacuation centre
Preparing for the field operation office. It is a room where all relevant stakeholders and intervention group will sit together to oversee the field operation and to coordinate the activities.
Transforming empty boxes into emergency supplies. Each supply will be prepositioned at the suppliers’ venue and the scenes of loading and unloading is already made during this mock exercise.
Loading from one of suppliers for emergency items
Loading from Red Cross Spain
Filming the unloading supplies
A village’s mayor making emergency alarm.
The day of the event
All activities pre-planned to the minute.
Briefing to the civil protection staff
Briefing to the social workers
Items for the drill participants
Evacuees are ready
Students volunteered as evacuees. Many inhabitants of the villages participated the emergency drill but still the number was not enough for the simulation. Thus, students were involved as volunteers and they had to be transported to each village.
Civil protection prepared for the evacuation point in a village
Transporting a disabled person on a wheelchair by ambulance
A evacuee inside of the ambulance
Volunteers helping the partially disabled evacuee
Transporting a wound female evacuee on a stretcher by ambulance
Field cots for evacuees
After the drill event
Closing conference
Lunch for all participants
One of our partners, Red Cross Italy, had a great capacity of making film of the event for the purpose of dissemination and future training. Full video can be found here (click).
Read more about the project here.
