Montana: Azerbaijani emergency teams recently participated in the ’20th NATO EADRCC Emergency Management – BULGARIA 2025′ exercise held in Montana, Bulgaria. The exercise, conducted from September 7-12, was jointly organized by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC) and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria. The Ministry of Emergency Situations of Azerbaijan provided details to APA about their involvement.
According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the International Search and Rescue Team from the Azerbaijani Ministry of Emergency Situations, along with the Medical Field Unit Management Association (TABIB), took part in the exercise. During the official opening ceremony, Bulgaria’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Daniel Mitov, welcomed all participants and emphasized the significance of such large-scale exercises in enhancing rapid response capabilities for potential large-scale emergencies. NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska also addressed the participants, highlighting the objectives and aspirations of the ‘BULGARIA 2025’ exercise.
The exercise aimed to mitigate potential damage to surrounding areas and critical infrastructure resulting from natural disasters and accidents. Rescue team operations were coordinated using various centers, including the Local Emergency Management Agency, On-Site Coordination Center, Urban Operations Coordination Center, Emergency Medical Teams Coordination Center, and Joint Air/Drone Operations Coordination Center.
During the exercise, personnel from the Azerbaijani International Search and Rescue Team were actively involved in executing search and rescue missions, successfully rescuing victims from simulated transport accidents and earthquake scenarios. They also supported the organization of activities at the City Coordination Center. Other Azerbaijani Ministry of Emergency Situations employees participated as evaluators and observers, contributing to the exercise’s progress.
The medical team from TABIB was deployed to disaster zones to provide medical assistance, following information from the Emergency Medical Team Coordination Center. They ensured victim transportation to medical centers by ambulance. The exercise concluded with a successful completion and certificates were awarded to the participants.