Exercise “UUSIMAA 2008”
The Euro-Atlantic Disaster
Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC) will conduct
the disaster response field exercise “UUSIMAA 2008” from 1 to 5 June
2008 in the region of the Finnish capital
Helsinki.
Teams from twenty-five
Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) nations will participate in the
exercise: Armenia,
Austria,
Azerbaijan,
Belgium,
Bosnia and
Herzegovina,
Bulgaria,
Croatia,
Estonia,
Finland,
Georgia,
Germany,
Iceland,
Italy,
Latvia,
Lithuania,
Netherlands,
Norway,
Poland,
Portugal,
Russia,
Spain,
Sweden,
Ukraine,
United
Kingdom and
United
States.
All together, approximately
1100 participants with
capabilities to deal with different aspects
of emergencies, including experts with staff
officer assignments, will take part in the event. Some 150 observers are also
expected. “UUSIMAA” will allow NATO and Partner countries to practice disaster
response mechanisms and capabilities and to enhance co-operation in emergency
situations.
The fictitious scenario for the
exercise will be flooding and storms along the coastline of the
Gulf of
Finland. According to the scenario,
water levels will rise during the spring and the storms will damage critical
infrastructure objects. There will be also Chemical, Biological and Radiological threat
simulations.
Through this exercise, NATO and
Partner nations will practice the Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination
Centre (EADRCC) procedures and
Euro-Atlantic Response Unit (EADRU) capabilities, in order to improve EAPC
nations’ ability to respond to a disaster. The exercise will also contribute to
strengthening the stricken nation’s capability to effectively coordinate
consequence management operations.
The exercise “UUSIMAA 2008” is a
Finnish contribution to the Partnership for Peace Programme for 2008. Since 2000, this is
the eighth field exercise conducted by the EADRCC. During the exercise,
a celebration is planned to mark the 10th anniversary of the
EADRCC.
Additional updated information on the exercise will be provided by
the Finnish Ministry of the Interior under:
http://www.cmcfinland.fi
Media
arrangements:
Accreditation is necessary for
all media representatives wishing to cover the exercise in
Helsinki. The deadline for accreditation is
19 May
2008.
Applications for accreditation can be made through the following
website:
http://213.138.148.12/netcomm/queries/viewForm.asp?iFormID=21&lan=en
During the exercise “UUSIMAA
2008”, a Media centre will be operational in the exercise Base Camp area. The
Centre will be staffed by the Finnish Ministry of the Interior and the Finnish Ministry for Foreign
Affairs.
A guided
programme including visits at the exercise sites will be arranged for the media
on 3 and 4 June.
Enquiries:
Finland
Ministry of the Interior
Mrs. Tiina Peltola-Lampi
Tel:
+358 9 1604 2966
GSM: +358 50 456
0806
E-mail:
tiina.peltola-lampi@intermin.fi
Media arrangements
Mr. Renne Klinge,
Head of Media Centre
Tel: +358 9 160
55815
GSM: +358
40 824 3933
E-mail: renne.klinge@formin.fi
NATO Point of
Contact:
Ms. Simone De
Manso, Press Officer
NATO press and
Media Section
Te: +32 2 707 50
35