Home
News Featured News
Articles Featured Articles
Forums Come and chat!
Links Linking the world
Contact Us Contact Directory
News
Source: European Union
Today at 05:30 Brussels time, Poland activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism requesting support in addressing the severe floods currently affecting large areas of the country. The request for high capacity pumping equipment and teams was immediately communicated to all Participating States through the Commission's Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC) which coordinates European response for Civil Protection. Poland has now activated the Mechanism because it expects that its national response capacities will become overwhelmed in the next few hours due to the persisting heavy rains.
"The EU is founded on the principle of solidarity. In crisis like the one Poland is facing currently is when Member States support can make the best of this European value. I call on all the participants of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism that have the equipment requested by Poland to respond generously", said Kristalina Georgieva, Commissioner responsible for Crisis Response.
The most stricken regions are located in the Southern part of Poland (Slaskie, Podkarpackie, Opolskie, Swietokrzyskie, Malopolskie) but it has been forecasted that the floods will progressively extend to the central part of the country due to the overflow of main rivers. Poland has requested Participating States to provide high capacity pumps (600 cubic meter / hour or higher) in order to supplement national capabilities.
Within one hour after the request France has offered 4 high capacity pumps of 5400 m3/h, 3 pumps of 850 m3/h and 1 pump 750 m3/h together with team members for logistical and technical support. The offer has been accepted. The French teams are being deployed already this morning and are expected to reach the affected areas within 15 hours. Germany has offered 5 high capacity pumps of 15 m3/m.
More offers are expected during the day.
Rapid Response Capability.
Through the Preparatory action the Commission and the Member States are testing new arrangements to speed up the deployment of assistance to the affected country.
Background
The European Civil Protection Mechanism facilitates cooperation in disaster response. 31 states participate in the Mechanism (EU-27 plus Croatia, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway). They pool those resources that can be made available to disaster-stricken countries all over the world through the Mechanism.
When activated, the Mechanism ensures the coordination of assistance interventions inside and outside the European Union. Such activities are coordinated by the European Commission through the Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC). Since its creation in 2001, the Mechanism has been activated for disasters in Member States (like the forest fires in Southern Europe in 2009) but alsoworldwide, including recent earthquakes in Haiti and Chile.
What do you do when your team's rescue boat needs replacing but as an independent lifeboat organisation you don't have the funds to do it?
In the case of Folkestone Inshore Rescue, you get hold of a set of hull plans, get a master carpenter and under the watchful gaze of a Lloyds Surveyor you build your own!
Read more: Folkestone Inshore Rescue build their own new boat
As SARworld reported last week the 50th Anniversary National Police Dog Trials were hosted by Lincolnshire Police last weekend.
The three day competition put some the country's highly skilled and experienced police dog handlers and dogs through their paces in exercises which tested a wide range of abilities such as tracking, searching, stand off, weapon attack, obedience and crowd control. Each of the 23 competitors undertook the various exercises in locations throughout the county. This culminated in the final day, held on Sunday 9th May at Lincolnshire Police Headquarters, in conjunction with the Force Open Day.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority requested Qantas' help last week after a search and rescue aircraft found a raft drifting some 110 miles off the coast of Esperance.
They requested the diversion of the aircraft because there was going to be a gap between when the fixed-wing (rescue) aircraft had to leave the scene and a RAAF Hercules was going to be on scene and they didn't want to lose sight of the life-raft.
Qantas said Flight 475 carrying 226 passengers from Sydney to Perth was briefly diverted to monitor the life-raft. "The Hercules ended up making it there before we did so we weren't required in the end," a Qantas spokeswoman told Australian news outlets.
Three fishermen were later rescued from the life raft.
Alex Bond was delivering a yacht from Hawaii to Australia when he became involved in an international rescue mission to save 24 starving islanders on Kanton Island.
Alex and his crew had anchored off Kanton Island when they came across the 14 adults and 10 children who had been living on fish and coconuts for months.
Alex did what any sailor would do, got on to the UK Coastguard in Falmouth thousands of miles away. The UK Coastguards contacted their US counterparts to arrange an emergency supply of food.
Mark Thomas, watch manager at Falmouth coastguards, is quoted on the BBC News website: "Mr Bond called us to say the islanders were starving.
"They had not had any food for a number of months and had been living off coconuts and fish.
"He had given them as much food as he could spare, but the situation was quite dire."
More Articles...
Page 1 of 5