JOINT INVESTMENTS IN THE FIELD OF EMERGENCY SITUATIONS FOR OLT COUNTY COUNCIL AND DOLNA MITROPOLIA MUNICIPALITY

The current project is designed to improve the emergency preparedness and risk prevention capacity in the cross-border area of Olt and Pleven districts, namely Dolna Mitropolia Municipality (DMM). The a.m. cross-border regions are exposed to a number of weather-related, geophysical and other risks. Although state, municipal and volunteer emergency response (ER) authorities and structures are in place, it is recognized that the existing capacity is not sufficient. Effective risk management requires adequate technical equipment and relevant human forces. The problem the current project addresses is the necessity for improved mechanisms for joint risk prevention and management in region Olt-DMM/Pleven region, which will assure protection of the life and health of population, the environment and important material and cultural values in emergency situations. The current situation during the last years shows that the cross-border region is confronted with many problems caused by the climate changes resulting in dangerous weather events. From 2014 to 2017, the Emergency Situations Inspectorate Olt has intervened in 2015 cases of fires and 272 floods, assisted and rescued a number of 287 persons from dangerous situations. In many interventions ISU has been supported by the Police Department, Gendarmerie Department and Ambulance Service. The Gendarmerie Department participated in 124 public events, together with ISU representatives, for maintaining public order and safety. They also intervened in any cases of calamities for maintaining order and helping the civilians, evacuation from dangerous areas, etc. The situation in DMM is similar to the one described. A number of cases of fires, floods, as well as closed or restricted-access roads are registered with the responsible authorities (see C1.). Being located in a high-risk area, DMM has registered more than 15 closures of roads every winter, over 30 fires and regular flooding of Danube, Iskar and Vit rivers, especially in spring. The municipality is assosted by Pleven district authorities and volunteer organizations, but additional support is of key importance. Based on the a.m., it is concluded that there are several main problems in the field of risk prevention in the Olt-Pleven/DMM region: - insufficient technical empowerment during the interventions in case of major urgencies – field fires, floods, extreme winter conditions. - inadequate response capacity for managing the a.m. risks generated by the natural calamities. These problems and emergencies could be solved through the implementation of joint CB measures for risk prevention and management. The present project envisages the investment in necessary equipment for management of specific emergencies by the authorized institutions in both counties and namely the districts of Olt and DMM. The investment targeted at improved technical capacity accompanied by joint trainings of relevant organizations of the cross-border region, will contribute to the authorities’ efforts for heightened civil and environmental protection. The project budget is 1.000.000 euro, 500.000 euro for each of the partners. The envisaged hard project includes the supply of the following equipment: For LP - 1 special truck with water and foam, 4 rough terrain vehicles, 3 ATV’s, 1 boat, rope, rescue vests. For P2:1 Combined backhoe loader,1 Aerial platform, 2 Vehicle for rough terrain, 2 Sledge-car, 1 Tractor 105 hp With inventory, 1 Machine for crushing of wood,3 Floating pumps, 5 Chain saws, 5 Brush cutters,1 Mini wheel loader,1 Snow-collecting brush, Rotor snowflake. The project’s objective is to improve the efficiency of risk prevention , as well as to ensure high-level preparedness and boost closer cooperation of the relevant authorities in case of disasters in the envisaged cross-border region. The specific project objectives are follows: - improvement of the response capacity in case of emergencies, at the Olt-DMM Region through the reduction of the intervention time; - improvement of technical capacity and quality of the interventions system in case of emergencies in the Olt-DMM Region through the acquisition of specific equipment; - facilitation of integrated interventions in case of disasters or accidents through the acquisition of specialized equipment; - improvement of the population access from the Olt-DMM Region to public safety services and interventions in case of emergencies; - Increasing the degree of the population safety and protection by provision of essential services, qualified and responsible technical and human capacity in case of urgencies and major disasters. The main project activities are: 1. Project preparation – communication and meetings between partners, 2. Project management; 3. Acquisition of equipment (public procurement procedures, contracting, delivery, etc.), 4. Common analysis and plan for joint coordinated actions, 5. Information and publicity (incl. press-conferences, promotional materials, etc.). The project contributes to the following Programme outputs: Population benefiting from actions of risk prevention and management – the population of the envisaged CB area (436.400 Population of Olt County + 18.511 from DMM population = Total 454 911 people), Population benefiting from flood protection measures – the population of the cross-border area = 454 911 people, Number of joint partnerships in the field of joint early warning and emergency response – 4, Equipment in the field of hazard management and disaster resilience . The main project benefits include: rescue of people from isolated areas in conditions of difficult access, improved access for specialized teams at intervention in muddy terrains, landslides, floods, enhanced displacement on rough оr muddy terrain, removal of objects during accidents, extreme winter conditions, explosions and ensuring route access, extrication of blocked persons, etc. The current project builds on the achievements of the partnership between Olt County Council and Pleven District, as well as between ISU Olt and its partner structure (DGFSCP) of Pleven District in the project MIS ETC Code 142. DMM, being part of the Pleven region, grows the established partnership in a new area. Now the approach encompasses enlargement of the scope of the final beneficiaries and the risks covered. On the one hand, the a.m. project focuses on the forest fire protection and management in the stated region. The current project plans improved prevention and management of other risks – field fires, floods, extreme winter conditions. On the other hand, the Olt County Council is engaging the Gendarmerie as a final beneficiary of the equipment, while DMM engages the municipal volunteer organization.

LB purchased 3 ATVs already in the custody of the Olt Gendarmerie Inspectorate "Corpul General al Armatei Constantin Dumitrescu" and the jeep pick-up, which is already in the custody of the Olt Emergency Situations Inspectorate. Also, LB purchased a firefighting van with an increased tank capacity of 9000 liters which is already in the custody of the Olt Gendarmerie Inspectorate "Corpul General de Armată Constantin Dumitrescu". LB launched the procurement procedure for the purchase of 3 special use vehicles - the vehicle (maximum capacity 1600cm²) and a rescue boat, but the procedure was canceled because there were no offers. He intends to relaunch a new procedure in April 2023. B2 signed contracts for the following equipment: backhoe loader with additional equipment attached to it, wood chipper, wheeled mini and rotary snow blowers and a waste brush with a water container, off-road vehicle. B2 intends to conclude the delivery contracts for the tractor and the aerial platform in April 2023, according to the offers received.

The project contributes to the following Programme outputs: • Population benefiting from actions of risk management – the population of the envisaged CB area (436.400 Population of Olt County + 18.511 from DMM population = Total 454 911 people.) • Population benefiting from flood protection measures – the population of the cross-border area = (436.400 Population of Olt County + 18.511 from DMM population = Total 454 911 people). • Number of joint partnerships in the field of joint early warning and emergency response – 4 partnerships resulting in improved management of risk situations in OLT – DMM region as follows: 1. Partnership between Dolna Mitropolia Municipality and Olt County Council, 2. Partnership between Dolna Mitropolia Municipality and ISU Olt , 3. Partnership between Dolna Mitropolia Municipality and Inspectorate of Gendermerie, Olt County, 4. Partnership between ISU Olt and the volunteer organization of Dolna Mitropolia Municipality • Equipment in the field of hazard management and disaster resilience. Also, as result indicator, the number of people that will benefit from the implementation of this project will encompass the population of entire Olt County (where the Inspectorate of Emergencies Olt can intervene with his equipments and personnel) of 436.400 citizens and the people of Dolna Mitropolia amounting to 18.511 citizens. Based on the a.m., the project is expected to improve significantly the satisfaction of all stakeholders in the cross-border area with respect to joint risk prevention and management. The main stakeholders and expected positive effects are as follows: 1) Local administrations (municipality, district and city) will benefit from: • enhanced capacity (both technical and human) for operation stemming from the new equipment acquisition, • Improved professional preparation as a result of training and cooperation, • faster and more adequate response in cases of emergency prevention and management which will reduce the potential losses, etc. • decreased burden on local administrations’ budgets as joint efforts of cross-border communities and institutions will allow for effective resource sharing during crises, 2) The cross-border population, environment and other assets will be better protected based on new, higher-capacity and more effective equipment. 3) Professional and volunteers emergency response structures will welcome the availability of high-quality and efficiency equipment, we well as coordination and cooperation of operation. 4) Hospitals and healthcare institutions will benefit from the decreased number of injured people. 5) Environmental agencies and NGOs will rank high the improved level of risk prevention and preparedness which will reduce the negative impacts on nature and wildlife. Generally, it is expected that the community and institutional stakeholders will rank high the contribution of the project to risk prevention and management. However, the project partners acknowledge that there is still a room for improvement with respect to early warning and disaster prevention. For this reason, it is expected that the overall evaluation of the quality of the joint risk management in the CB area be improved from somewhat inappropriate (2.00) to satisfactory (3.00) as a result of the project implementation, driven down by the unemployed opportunities of early warning and risk prevention measures. Thus the implementation of the project will lead to higher quality of joint risk prevention and management in the CBC area providing benefits to the entire cross-border population. The local communities will benefit from enhanced protection against a wide range of risks ensured by responsible emergency response units and other relevant authorities with adequate equipment. The common approach to handling dangerous situations will provide opportunities for cooperation between neighboring communities which will decrease the response time and curtail possible losses. This will result in higher efficiency of actions and improve the quality of the joint risk management in the CB area.