This project aims to improve the resilience during crises and disasters within the Euregion Meuse Rhine (EMR) by offering education to rescue personnel, citizens and public servants.
Each target group will be approached in a different manner. Within the target group citizens, especially the young and elderly will be approached. These groups are considered to be more vulnerable within society. In addition, they can be easily approached collectively through schools or elderly (care) organizations. Through these organizations, also parents of children and children of elderly people will be reached. This will broaden the target group significantly. Rescue personnel will be approached via EMRIC. Within this collaboration, all services with legal tasks in the field of public safety within the EMR closely work together. The EMRIC partners have already agreed on being “structural customers” of the products for their 50.000 employees. Public servants with tasks in the field of public safety are connected to the collaborating organizations and thereby connected to EMRIC. A tri-lingual assortment of collective training, education and modules will be developed making use of:
At least 20 modules will be developed that, depending on the target group, will be made available via an e-learning platform or within the training and exercise centres. Here one could think of e-learning modules on legal differences for public servants; e-learning modules on Eu-regional agreements for rescue personnel (For example making use of optical and acoustical signals abroad)
Within this project, training and exercise centres where citizens and professionals can experience reality are called "experience worlds". "Learning by doing" is the method used. Scientific research (for example conducted by the university of Twente and Hogeschool Enschede) has shown that this is the most effective method where quick action is needed, which is the case during emergencies.
Training and exercise centres for professionals within the EMR, each have their own specialty. By collaborating closely, duplication can be prevented in the future. An Eu-regional trainers pool will be set up to allow professionals to train in each of the available centres.
Existing facilities focusing on training citizens will collaborate as well. Here, each facility has a specialty as well. Forschungszentrum Jülich is specialized in nuclear incidents, Floriansdorf in Aachen focuses on fire prevention for children and the centres of DRK LANO, EPAMU and the Malteser focus on medical emergencies. In Veiligheidsregio Limburg-Noord a risk-factory is being built. The IKIC project follows these developments closely and a connection will be established when the time is right. The close collaboration between the IKIC partner Veiligheidsregio Zuid-Limburg en Veiligheidsregio Limburg-Noord will bring this on by itself.
