Past Events

The Training on Emergency Logistics and Regional Approach to Host Nation Support Guidelines is started today in Podgorica. During the two days of training participants from project countries will present aspects of emergency logistics and discuss on implementation of the Host Nation Support Guidelines in their counties with focus on lessons learned and experiences in receiving, sending and transiting assistance. Through group work in breakout sessions on second day participants will discuss on Emergency Planning, Emergency Management and Co-ordination Logistics/transport and Legal and financial aspects of Host Nation Support.

Miodrag  Besovic, Acting Director General of the Rescue and Protection Directorate of the Ministry of the Interior of Montenegro opened training and stated that this training presents a good introduction and preparation for the Table Top Exercise, that will be conducted on 15^th and 16^th of June,2022 in Kumbor. Also, he convinced that the exchange of experiences, information, knowledge, lessons learned and best practices in emergency management field will further enable us to identify our future activities to improve our mutual cooperation and to enhance implementation of procedures, protocols and guidelines at national, regional and EU level, in case of natural and manmade disasters.

The 3^rd Planning Conference of the project BALANCE took place on 31^st of May and 1^st of June, 2022 in Podgorica (Montenegro). The conference was attended by 35 members of the project consortium, representatives of the Ministry of Culture and Media – UNESCO Office, Directorate for Cultural Heritage Protection, Police Administration, Montenegrin Red Cross, Kotor, Tivat and Herceg Novi, Hearing and Speech Resource Center "Dr Peruta Ivanovic "in Kotor, the Red Cross of Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia, as well as by Mr. Geir Ellingsen, ECHO Project Officer.

During the two days of the conference, participants exchanged views and discussed the detailed scenario, locations and working sites for the Full-Scale Exercise, Main Event List/Main Inject list and tasks during this exercise, logistical details, Host Nation Support issues and exercise management structure. The conference also discussed the scenario, tasks and logistical details related to the organization of the Table Top Exercise, as well as the involvement of local community representatives in project activities.

In organisation of the Rescue and Protection Directorate of the Ministry of the Interior of Montenegro, the Territorial Unit for Rescue and Protection of Herceg Novi conducted educational workshops on the topic related to the earthquake risk reduction at the Public High School „Ivan Goran Kovacic“ in Herceg Novi and the Public Institution Resource Center for Hearing and Speech „Dr. Peruta Ivanović“ in Kotor. These workshops are an activity within the DG ECHO funded project BALANCE – Large Scale Earthquake Management at Western Balkans through Joint Cross Border Cooperation Activities.

Students of the first grade of the construction section of the Public High School “Ivan Goran Kovačić” in Herceg Novi, as part of a lecture on earthquake risk reduction, held on May 25th, 2022, were introduced to the history of earthquakes in this seismically active area, preventive measures, as well as with the manner of behavior before, during and after the earthquake. Considering the beginning of the fire season, the education of students included the basics of information on preventive measures, which are necessary to implement in order to reduce the risk of fire.

The education of the first grade students of Gimnasium within the Public Institution Resource Center for Hearing and Speech „Dr. Peruta Ivanović“ in Kotor was realized on May 26th, 2022 and was adjusted to the needs of students of this center with an emphasis on activities to be carried out before, during and after the earthquake. Fire prevention and protection were also discussed with the students. As one of the goals of the BALANCE project is to include people with disabilities in the project activities especially at the Full-Scale Exercise.

The students were also introduced to the goals and main activities of the BALANCE project.

Brochure on earthquake - Montenegrin language.pdf

The 2^nd Planning Conference of DG ECHO funded project BALANCE took place on the 14^th-15^th of October, 2021 in Podgorica (Montenegro). The conference was chaired by Mr. Evangelos Katsaros, CERIDES Research Associate and Project Manager of the BALANCE project and by Ms. Zorica Markovic, Head of Department for Coordination of International Assistance, Cooperation and Project implementation, of the Ministry of Interior of Montenegro. The conference was attended by 36 members of the project consortium and local stakeholders in total, as well as by Mr. Geir Ellingsen, ECHO Project Officer was present at the conference online.

During the two days of the conference, participants exchanged views and discussed the exercise scenario, locations and working sites for the Full-Scale Exercise, Main Event List/Main Inject list and tasks during the exercise, logistical details and procedures for receiving rescue teams and assistance and standard operating procedures, and ways to involve local communities in conducting exercise and promoting preventive activities to reduce the risk of earthquake and other disasters.

Media coverages:

• https://m.cdm.me/hronika/terenska-vjezba-o-upravljanju-zemljotresima-u-oktobru-sljedece-godine/
• https://rckotor.com/2021/10/15/konferencija-u-okviru-balance-projekta/
• https://www.portalanalitika.me/clanak/mup-terenska-vjezba-o-upravljanju-zemljotresima-u-oktobru-sledece-godine
• https://www.gov.me/clanak/odrzana-druga-planska-konferencija-za-organizaciju-terenske-vjezbe-na-temu-zemljotresa