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Projects for civil protection

Following the Council resolution on environment and sustainable development (OJ No C 138 of 17.5.1993) and in accordance with the views of the Permanent Network of National Correspondents for civil protection (PNNC), the Directorate-General for the Environment, Nuclear Safety ...

Following the Council resolution on environment and sustainable development (OJ No C 138 of 17.5.1993) and in accordance with the views of the Permanent Network of National Correspondents for civil protection (PNNC), the Directorate-General for the Environment, Nuclear Safety and Civil Protection (XI) of the Commission plans to grant financial support for pilot projects to be carried out in the field of civil protection. Pilot projects in the field of civil protection are intended to improve technical tools and assistance techniques with a view to extending the capacity for action of those involved in the Member States in the event of a natural or technological disaster. The aim of this call for projects is to support the development of equipment and facilities for civil protection measures in the event of a disaster. The equipment and facilities have been identified as means of simplifying the work of the operating teams and making them more effective, and as warranting improvement in that the existing mechanisms do not necessarily satisfy all the necessary criteria. The aim is therefore to improve their performance. The call for projects covers several types of equipment and facility pertaining to different fields. Proposers may submit a project of their choice with the aim of constructing and testing a prototype. The three main fields covered are: - Natural disasters; - Chemical hazards; - Decision-support systems. The projects to be carried out cover the following: (A) Facilities for action in the event of floods: In view of the scale of assistance required in flooded areas, a multi-purpose, fully equipped, self-propelled barge should be developed for evacuating people, animals and goods. The barge should be extremely stable, buoyant and easily manoeuvred in flooded areas (where the current is often strong), largely self-sufficient and equipped with essential emergency supplies for the people in need of help (medical equipment, shelter, clothing, equipment for emergency assistance, boathooks, ropes, a ladder, etc.). The whole should be suitable for easy overland transport and launching. (B) Facilities for the rapid detection of people who have been trapped: Facilities using existing modern technologies can now be deployed by specialist teams to assist in the search for people who have been trapped (microcameras, radar, acoustic systems, etc.). Proposers should propose a system designed to make the emergency services more effective, making use of the experience gained in recent years. A combination of techniques may be used. The system must be compact and easily transportable. (C) Initial detection and intervention facilities necessary for interim measures to protect the population, pending the arrival of specialized assistance: The facilities are intended for teams which have to respond within minutes of an accident and perform the following tasks: . Protect the response team itself (about two or three people); . Detect the immediate dangers (explosimetry, main highly toxic gases and toxic liquids); . Mark out a safety perimeter; . Alert the local population (around the periphery of the accident site). Proposers should propose a full set of facilities which teams of this kind could use and which should be easily transportable (vehicle not included). (D) Equipment designed to protect people at risk of contact with pollutant gas in existing premises, by means of improved containment: These facilities are intended in particular for establishments open to the public (schools, hospitals, etc.), and should enable a safety zone of pressurized, filtered air to be established to keep several dozen people (assembled in advance) safe for several hours. Proposers should aim for a module suitable for replication with the capacity to treat an average-sized, easily insulated room (size of the room about 125 m3 to 250 m3), or rather large premises (of sports hall size). (E) Software system to assist in the management of a civil emergency: It is intended that this software system should: . Have greater scope and usefulness than software systems currently available; . Enhance the real-time management of a specific type of disaster or a specific element of a disaster whatever its nature; . Provide for the preparation or training of civil protection personnel through the realistic simulation of the above-numbered points; . Be based on a stand-alone standard PC. Interested parties should submit their proposals to: European Commission DG XI (Environment, Nuclear Safety and Civil Protection) Mr. Alessandro P. Barisich Head of Unit XI/C-4 "Civil Protection" 200 rue de la Loi (TRMF 00/82) B-1049 Brussels or by hand to: European Commission Unit XI/C-4 "Civil Protection" Office 00/82 174 boulevard du Triomphe B-1160 Brussels. Pertinent requests may be made on technical matters, or on administrative procedures, to: European Commission Mr. A. Barisich Tel. +32-2-2992248; Fax +32-2-2990314