BULGARIAN RED CROSS

BEST PRACTICES WITH PARTNERS USED IN BRC SYSTEM IN CASE OF DISASTERS Associate professor Krasimir GIGOV Atanasko STEFANOV Lyubomir KARAKANOVSKI

София, 02.04.2009г. NATURAL DISASTER BULGARIAN RED CROSS

MAN MADE DISASTER BULGARIAN RED CROSS MISSION AND TASKS OF THE BRC

●BRC is a voluntary organization which is a part of the International Red Cross Movement and is guided by its principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary, unity and universality.

●According to Art. 3 (Law of the BRC), BRC is an autonomous organization that assists the state in humanitarian action in preparation for war, armed conflicts and disasters, to protect and enhance public health and education in the spirit of high morality, compassion and charity.

●BRC is the only national organization of the Red Cross, which operates on the territory of .

●Through it’s network of volunteers in the whole country, the BRC renders assistance to vulnerable people in disasters and crisis situations. By means of training programs and activities for the benefit of the public, the National Red Cross Society contributes to alleviate and prevent the suffering in all its forms, protects health and life and ensures respect for the human being.

● BULGARIAN RED CROSS

NATIONAL LEGISLATION IN THE FIELD OF DISASTERS:

● Law on Disaster Protection (Official Gazette 14.10.2011) - regulates the provision of protection of life and health of population, environment and property in case of disasters.

● Law of the Bulgarian Red Cross (Official Gazette, N87/29.09.1995, amend. 29.09.2006)

BRC - Founded in 1878 BRC - Recognized by the IFRC/RC in 1885 and became part of the International Movement of RC/RC

BULGARIAN RED CROSS

BASIC BRC DOCUMENTS:

• BRC DISASTER MANAGEMENT POLICY;

• BRC DISASTER MANAGEMENT STRATEGY (2011 - 2020) ;

• STATUTES OF THE BRC;

• INTERNAL REGULATIONS

BULGARIAN RED CROSS BRC PARTICIPATION IN THE NATIONAL DISASTER RESPONSE PLAN

- Establishes voluntary units to help the affected population in case of disasters;

- Establishes and maintains a disaster reserve of relief items essential for the initial support of victims;

- Maintains Central and inter-regional/ Branch/ warehouses in the country ;

- Maintains radio - communication network of HF and VHF frequencies;

- Cooperates and coordinates with governmental and non-governmental entities involved in rescue work activities in case of disasters according to it’s capacity;

- Liaises and coordinates with IFRC / RC and other Partner National Societies, mobilization, receipt and distribution of international assistance in country if needed;

- Collects and distributes domestic and international aid for population in affected regions/ branches. BULGARIAN RED CROSS BRC STRUCTURE

 National headquarters 28 regional branches  271 municipal branches  2777 clubs/local assciations and 19 000 volunteers

BULGARIAN RED CROSS BRC CAPACITY – HUMAN RESOURCES

- National level - 1 National Disaster Response Team (NDRT) - 22 persons;

- - 1 National Water Life Saving Team – 10 persons /volunteers/;

- Regional level - 18 Branch DRT’s – 290 - 305 persons / volunteers /;

- - 21 Youth DRTs – 300 -550 persons / volunteers /;

- Mountain Rescue Service works with 600 volunteer rescuers and 44 staff in 32 organized rescue teams;

- Specialized group of MRS for /SAR/ in case of disasters - 31 persons with 14 operational dogs;

- 80 volunteers - professional psychologists/ PSP consultants/;

- 7 trained people to work with the installation of water purification/ WatSan/

- 7 people Regional Disaster Response Team members -– belonging to the IFRC/RC RDRT EZO If necessary, additional volunteers are mobilized to participate in the distribution of relief and assistance to affected population. BULGARIAN RED CROSS

Central warehouse - LOZEN; Regional warehouses - Ruse, , , Kapitan Andreevo

Maintains stocks and property to provide immediate response to affected population in accordance with the National Plan for disaster protection.

BULGARIAN RED CROSS

RegRCO  Store  Ruse Pobeda RegRCO Dobrich Store   Pirgovo

GENEVA Пиргово IFRC/RC

 Store NC Topolitca  RegRCO  NTLC Burgas  Lozen Легенда -далечен обхват на КВ (къси вълни) връзката на лицензирани честоти между НС и Обл.С

-близки връзка на УКВ (ултра къси вълни) в съответната област

BULGARIAN RED CROSS MATERIAL RESOURCES Transport vehicles, trucks, vans, operating cars, field kitchens, electrical and forklifts. In process of developing and implementing of automated GPS system, which provides the National HQ with info about the current location and condition of vehicles, the technical parameters of the engine (speed, fuel consumption, video monitoring of the cargo and information on health status of the vahicle driver – pulse, body temperature, blood pressure and others) at any time . BULGARIAN RED CROSS

COOPERATION WITH PARTNERS: - Ministry of Interior; - Ministry of Defence; - Ministry of Foreign Affairs; - Ministry of Education, Youth and Science; - Ministry of Health; - General Directorate for Fire Safety and Protection of the Population; - Military Medical Academy; - State Agency for Refugees; - NGO’s, media and others.

BULGARIAN RED CROSS

AREAS OF COOPERATION:

- National level - International level - In the system of IFRC/RC - On bilateral bases with others National societies or partners - IO’s and NGO’s - Projects, exercises, conferences, workshops, meetings and ………. BULGARIAN RED CROSS

AREAS OF COOPERATION: National level: - state exercises – “Briz”, “Zashita”, “Feniks”, “Zakrila”…. - in the system of BRC – “Montana”, “Russe”, “Kavarna”… - Conferences: Sofia Security Forum, Bolkan and SEE …… - Working groups – National program, Plans, Policy and Strategy…… - Trainings – National coordination HQ, early warning systems….. BULGARIAN RED CROSS Participating countries SEESIM 14

Center for leadership and management Croatia

BULGARIAN RED CROSS

SABER GUARDIAN 14

2014

2014

BULGARIAN RED CROSS

VIKING 14 Sites

VikingNet HTTPS:// TYR DMS Email Email Voice Voice Chat Chat VTC VTC Directories C2 Directories Sitaware C2 WebCop La La n n

C2 C2 La La n n

C2 La C2 n La C2 BCE(BogalandCoopEnv) n Approved JMIE La n BULGARIAN RED CROSS

Command Post Exercise (CPX) “SEVEN STARS The South-Eastern Europe Brigade (SEEBRIG) consists of seven NATO and Partnership for Peace (PfP) nations: Albania, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Greece, Italy, Romania, and Turkey. Believing that cooperation and dialog among the countries of South-Eastern Europe must be further developed, and considering their commitment to contribute to regional security and stability, their Ministers of Defense signed an Agreement on Multinational Peace Force South-Eastern Europe (MPFSEE) September 26, 1998.

The Headquarters of South-Eastern Europe Brigade (HQ SEEBRIG) conducted the Command Post Exercise (CPX) - “SEVEN STARS” BULGARIAN RED CROSS PROJECTS

Main partners

• International Federation • • • Bulgarian Red Cross • • • BULGARIAN RED CROSS

Main partners

Self-Protection with children in Community Objectives A scientific as well as an experience feed-back data collection concerning the children risk preparedness.

Development and field test of educational tools for parents, teachers, grandparents and children BULGARIAN RED CROSS

Create a sustainable network of professional public and private institutions and organizations amongst the EU countries, through which will exchange expertise and best practices in the sphere of prevention against natural disasters and hazards in terms of preventing children and youngsters BULGARIAN RED CROSS Prepared together for DAC EVHAC – European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid PREPARED TOGETHER FOR DAC / Corps-2 volunteer missions: Botswana and Caribbean Disasters, Accidents and Crises/ BULGARIAN-SWISS COOPERATION PROGRAMME THE REFORM FUND LINKED TO CIVIL SOCIETY PARTICIPATION

IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD 2013-2015 This project aimed at the implementation of a system of social activities for preparation of the vulnerable groups for response to DAC

VinCAB – European Aid Volunteers Aware and Resilient 3 volunteer missions: Costa Rika, Paraguay, Kosovo BULGARIAN RED CROSS

2013 2014 European Communication new European Communication Campaign of the Red Cross and Campaign of the Red Cross and ECHO ECHO „RESILIENCE „SILENT DISASTERS“ informing the EXPERIENCE“ about communities EU citizens about the unnoticed disasters resilience to disasters around the world TARGET - 28 million EU citizens in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Spain. BULGARIAN RED CROSS XVI Balkan Conference of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - Sofia, 2008

The last Balkan conference was held in Bucharest in 2011 Framework Agreement for Trans-border Assistance in disasters signed between all Red Cross Red Crescent Societies in the Balkans.

The Bulgarian Red Cross is the initiator and the holder of the Framework Agreement BULGARIAN RED CROSS

Disaster Response Mechanism of RC/RC Movement

● Coordination Network and System at international level - Secretariat of the IFRC/RC in Geneva, Zonal office, Regional offices, Country Delegations; ● Delegates at a disaster areas - the world's hot spots; ● Electronic online system for training and exchange of information in case of disaster - DMIS /Disaster management information system/; ● System for Disaster Response – Appeal Process; ● DREF/Disaster Relief Emergency Fund/; ● Availability of stored basic humanitarian relief items; ● Available additional personnel. BULGARIAN RED CROSS

EXPERIENCE AND INTERNAL REGULATIONS

- Expertise in the areas of DM; Water rescue, Mountain rescue/SAR/, Tracing, Refugee migrants service; Youth RC; - Training system for staff and volunteers; - Rules of mobilization of humanitarian aid and assistance in case of disasters; - Rules for the receipt and distribution of humanitarian aid; - Procedures for immediate assistance to affected population; - System of financial reporting and auditing, internal control system; - BRC Fund for immediate emergency assistance. BULGARIAN RED CROSS DISASTER RESPONSE INFORMATION SYSTEM – IFRC / RC BULGARIAN RED CROSS BULGARIAN RED CROSS INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

 Partnership adreements Signed partnership agreements with 24 Red Cross Red Crescent national societies. 20 regional organizations of the BRC cooperate with branches of national societies in other countries, incl. Greece, Macedonia, Turkey, Romania and Serbia

 Participaton in internationa aid For the period 2009 – 2012 BRC provided financial support for 15 international appeals. Among those are National Societies from SEE Countries BULGARIAN RED CROSS

76 “James Boucher" 1407 SOFIA BULGARIA [email protected]

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