Medical task force trains for emergencies with colleagues in Nova Gorcia and Gorizia
Joint exercise of the Capitals of Culture 2025
Seven members of the 25th Medical Task Force (MTF) of the City of Chemnitz have returned from a large-scale exercise in Nova Gorica and Gorizia. The INTERREG civil defence exercise "Goin4Safety" took place in the cultural capitals from 6 to 8 September. Around 500 men and women from various civil defence aid organisations and fire brigades from the three countries took part. They were trained in the situation of an earthquake.
The participation of a unit from Germany arose from a project aimed at intensifying cooperation and exchange between the European Capitals of Culture 2025, Chemnitz and Nova Gorica/Gorizia, in the area of safety.
Units from Croatia and Austria also took part in the exercise, adding to the international dimension and co-operative spirit of the event. Early on Friday morning, comrades and colleagues from the DRK, the water rescue service and the Chemnitz fire service set off for Slovenia in a total of three vehicles. In addition to professional cooperation, the focus was also on the comradely exchange between the emergency services, which was strengthened by joint activities and the exchange of experiences.
On Saturday, the team started the exercise by supporting the local civil defence units. The assumed scenario was an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.3 EMS in a 20-kilometre section along the Slovenian-Italian border, accompanied by landslides, fires and hazardous goods accidents. The 25th MTF provided specific support in the care of the injured and medical transport.
The exercise demonstrated the importance of testing international cooperation between civil defence units and underlined the excellent cooperation between the countries involved in terms of safety. The success of the exercise not only strengthened the existing partnerships, but also paved the way for future joint projects.
Finally, further cooperation between the civil defence and disaster control units from cities in Italy, Slovenia, Croatia and Austria and Chemnitz was agreed. This partnership promises to further improve efficiency and effectiveness in dealing with international emergencies.