Development of an integrated response capacity to cross-border emergency situations

The present project is expressing the joint vision upon the risks and disaster management in this border area of three project partners: Town of Aleşd and Commune of Şinteu, both from Romania, and Town of Szarvas from Hungary. The cross-border area targeted through this project covers a large territory, starting from City of Aleşd and Şinteu commune, along the Crisul Repede River, towards Szarvas in Hungary. Annually, this cross-border territory is facing different types of hazards: - floods (because the territory is passed by Crisul Repede River, a large river which is hard to be managed. This is a river shared by two countries. Management of water resources is therefore an important issue in this cross-border region. Floods must be controlled by each locality in order to minimize the negative impact upon communities from Romania and Hungary. Szarvas and Aleşd are two towns that have responsibilities of more than 25.000 people against harmful effects of flooding). - fire (unfortunately, many deaths happens yearly in Şinteu because of such incidents, people literally dying in their homes because the late reaction from emergency situation services. It is worth to mention that Şinteu is placed in a beautiful but extremely hard to get territory, so any emergency service is facing troubles when an incident occurs and they need to save lives or assets). - extreme heavy snow, especially between Aleşd and Şinteu, and in Şinteu (there are winters when the snow is so intense and heavy that this part of the Bihor County remains paralyzed for few days and there is now way someone can get here). In addition to the various environmental and climate change-related risks highlighted above, the area is also affected by various risks related to human activities, threatening also protected areas. The focus of this project is on integrated risks management in this border area. A range of risks aspects are managed through this project: a) Risk prevention by structural and spatial measures (especially in case of flood) b) Sustainable risk management, especially related to ecologically valuable areas c) Disaster management d) Cross-border cooperation to stimulate a joint approach to risk management e) Communication with and involvement of the public to increase risk awareness. Using practical examples provided by other EU projects, the partners will analyze what obstacles and challenges have to be faced in practice in developing and applying sustainable risk management measures on a regional and local scale, across regional borders. The overall objective of the DIRCCES project is to enhance the human safety level of the populations from the cross-border region and thus, to reduce the social, economic and environmental costs of natural disasters in this territory. Through this project, the three partners want: - To conceptualize a comprehensive approach to disaster that primarily focuses on protecting cross-border persons. - To generate a broad set of effective practices that could be used by project partners and other actors to ensure more effective future responses to cross-border disasters.Thus, our project is in line with the Program’s Priority axis PA5: Improve risk-prevention and disaster management (Cooperating on risk prevention and disaster management). The specific objectives of this project are:a. To build technical, institutional, resource and capacity assistance of the cross-border region regarding the risk prevention and management;To reduce the vulnerability levels of partner communities through a process of identifying, analyzing and evaluating risk, leading to the development of a strategy to mitigate existing and future risk;b. To enhance community awareness and knowledge on disaster and risk management, and climate change adaptation. The main results of our project will be: - 3 emergency situations services that will be able to intervene quicker and more effective in disasters and incidents due to the improved infrastructure (equipment, vehicles and tools for fire-fighting, flood management, extrication, intensive snow removal, other type of environmental or man-made disasters), - approx. 100 people working on a contract base or voluntarily at the involved emergency situations services with a higher level of preparedness, 6 communities of 38.789 inhabitants will show a higher level of awareness regarding risk prevention and reaction to disaster; these communities are: Alesd (11.293 people), Şinteu (1.131 people), Szarvas (16.275 people), and community partners Astileu (3.477 people), Auseu (3.033 people) and Lugasu de Jos (3.580 people), - 6 local public authorities will share know-how on disaster management, and will benefit of harmonized supporting and coordinating documents and procedures (Joint Strategy on Risk and Disaster Management, Information Sheet-Agenda). - local public authorities, especially those who are directly involved in the implementation process will gain further project management experience and will learn how to deal with more partner communities (managing the Partnership agreements for emergency situations prevention and intervention). The total project budget is: 485.400 euro. In order to attain the established objectives, this project proposes several types of activities, as following: Organizing joint events in the three partner communities (discussions on topics of risk and disaster, visiting the emergency situations volunteer services, quality time and relaxing in order to strengthen the cross-border relations between partners and stakeholders, exercises and drills), elaboration of the Joint Strategy for Risk and Disaster Management (This document will be the product of consultation and inputs by various stakeholders. The success of this strategy will lie in its effective implementation and monitoring throughout the cross-border region, equipment purchase, communication and dissemination activities. At the end of the project, due to the experience and know-how ex-change during joint meetings, simulations and drills and due to the new emergency equipment / vehicles / tools purchased through this project, these three local services and the involved communities will become essential pillars for this Romanian-Hungarian cross-border area in the efforts of preventing and managing risk and disaster situation.

Achieved: 1) The 3 emergency situations services will be able to intervene quicker and more effective in disasters and incidents due to the improved infrastructure (equipment, vehicles and tools for fire-fighting, flood management, extrication, intensive snow removal, other type of environmental or man-made disasters), 2) A higher level of preparedness in case of approx. 100 people working on a contract base or voluntarily at the involved emergency situations services, obtained as a result of participation at joint events organized in this field. 3)To enhance community awareness and knowledge on disaster and risk management, and climate change adaptation. Finalized: 1) Partially, equipment for emergency response has been purchased : tents, beds and mattresses. 2)Equipment for emergency response will be purchased, as emergency vehicles, 4x4 intervention cars, professional motor pumps, inflatable dam , emergency tools had been purchased. 3) Equipment for emergency response will be purchased, as emergency vehicles, 4x4 intervention cars, professional motor pumps, inflatable dam , emergency tools ;etc 4 Elaboration of joint strategy to provide guidance for 6 communities from the cross-border area and related organizations that are involved in emergency and risk situations management; 5) 4 Joint events that consists of simulations and drills for around 40 people. The proposed simulations will be based on a scenario and script of realistic events and participants will be required to provide realistic responses based on existing procedures and resources. 6) Equipment for emergency response will be purchased, as emergency vehicles, 4x4 intervention cars, professional motor pumps, inflatable dam , emergency tools ;etc 7) Organisation of a number of 5 joint activities in Hungary related to disaster and risk management, expecting an attendance of approximative 500 people.

This project supports an approach that focuses on the integration of effective practices by local authorities, emergency situations services and local actors into their own normative frameworks in accordance with their specific situations and challenges. We highlight the need to bring together and link multiple policies and action areas to address cross-border disaster. In the context of a cooperation project, our initiative will provide a forum for dialogue among interested communities from this area to further discuss how best to protect cross-border disaster persons and environment, and prevent disaster displacement, where possible. In addition, our initiatives will enhance cooperation and coordination between partners and other relevant actors, in order to ensure a comprehensive approach to cross-border disaster management. The main results of our project will be: -3 emergency situations services that will be able to intervene quicker and more effective in disasters and incidents due to the improved infrastructure (equipment, vehicles and tools for fire-fighting, flood management, extrication, intensive snow removal, other type of environmental or man-made disasters), -approx. 100 people working on a contract base or voluntarily at the involved emergency situations services with a higher level of preparedness, -6 communities of 38.789 inhabitants will show a higher level of awareness regarding risk prevention and reaction to disaster, -6 local public authorities will share know-how on disaster management, and will benefit of harmonized supporting and coordinating documents and procedures (Joint Strategy on Risk and Disaster Management, Information Sheet-Agenda). Activities designed for this project and the final results will focus on joint development of the emergency response and disaster management capacity in this area in order to facilitate rapid joint actions in case of emergency situations, especially in the immediate neighborhood of the state borders.