Civil protection exercises held in south Moldova Taraclia district

Chisinau, 29 October /MOLDPRES/ - The southern Taraclia district has been host of civil protection exercises, during which the reaction of intervention structures in case of emergency situations was simulated. The Association for the Development of the Bulgarian Community from Moldova (ARBOM) provided media support to the event, in which about 190 employees of competent institutions participated, with 41 technology units.     

The exercises were monitored by the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (IGSU), in order to test and train the authorities and intervention forces in case of emergencies, such as fires, chemical and traffic accidents, as well as other crisis situations.  

”In our capacity of authorities, we should be quite attentive at specialists’ recommendations, especially when we talk about the mobilization of the civil population in case of emergency situations. Experts recommend that we organize such exercises once in five years. Unfortunately, the last exercises of this kind took place in 2012. Today, we learn a precious lesson,’’ the president of the Taraclia District Council, Lazari Dermenji, said.   

Teams of more intervention structures, such as firemen, para-physicians, policemen, National Food Safety Agency (ANSA) and volunteers, participated in the exercises.    

”We put emphasis on the rescuing of eventual victims and liquidation of the consequences of the emergency situations,’’ an IGSU head of department, Anatolie Focsa, said.   

The exercises started with a simulation of fire at an education institution, where teams of firemen intervened to evacuate people in danger and localize the flames. Firemen’s special vehicles were used on the spot and the medical services provided the first aid to presumed victims.  

Another phase of the exercise implied a simulation of chemical accident at a plant. The intervention teams, equipped in special protection costumes, isolated the area and took measures to reduce people’s exposition to toxic substances through contamination and took measures of preventing the extension of the danger.  

Another intervention implied the removal of the consequences of devastating floods in the Vinogradovca commune, among which the strengthening of a dam on a lakeside.  

”According to the scenario, the dam yielded and we were mobilized to consolidate it, in order to liquidate the consequences of the flood in the Ciumai village, which is part of the Vinogradovca commune. These exercises are very important, as we learn to react quickly and promptly in emergency situations,’’ the mayor of the Vinogradovca commune, Tatiana Turcan, said.  

In the same commune, the authorities simulated also the isolation of a hotbed of Anthrax – an extremely contagious and dangerous disease, which can be transmitted from animal to man.  

”The scenario implies that a resident accused symptoms of Anthrax, following a contact with a sick animal. We simulate here the entire process of intervention: from the collection of samples up to disinfection and liquidation of the consequences of the disease,’’ the head of the ANSA Territorial Service from Taraclia, Cahul and Cantemir, Ion Babanuta, said.  

Intervention teams were asked to intervene also for the liquidation of a vegetation fire, localizing the flames which threatened to extend in a wood.

In the end, the IGSU employees, physicians and police simulated the intervention of a serious traffic accident, in which actions of extrication, de-blocking and providing of medical assistance to victims, as well as managing the traffic on route were necessary.  

The civil protection exercises in Taraclia reminded about the importance of preparing for emergency situations and tested the authorities’ capacity to efficiently and quickly respond to crises, for the safety of the community. It is not for the first time when the Association for the Development of the Bulgarian Community from Moldova is with the IGSU employees from Taraclia. In last April, ARBOM, as a token of gratitude for devotion and courage, gave as present to the firemen from this district a set of dumb bells for force exercises, on the occasion of Rescuer’s Day.