Comprehensive toolkit improves first response in disasters
Since its launch in September 2023, the EU-funded SYNERGISE(opens in new window) project has been developing a cost-effective, modular and highly reliable toolkit of disaster response technologies to empower first responders. A component field test held in Stockholm, Sweden, less than 2 years later provided the opportunity to validate these technologies in lifelike conditions designed to be as complex and unpredictable as real disaster scenarios. In emergencies and major disasters, the hazards are many. First responders, being among the first to arrive at the scene of a disaster, are exposed to significant physical and mental risk. Also, natural and human-caused disasters are chaotic and evolve rapidly, and often over large areas. In such situations, multiple agencies need to work together and exchange information, requiring a holistic approach and effective tools to protect responders and boost their situational awareness. SYNERGISE’s toolkit will enhance collaborative response to major disasters and increase the operational effectiveness and safety of first responders.
Testing testing
Held from 9 to 12 June 2025, the Stockholm event was the third to date of four component field tests planned by SYNERGISE. It brought together project partners, first responder teams and observers to assess how the integrated technologies function in multi-hazard situations. The technological components being tested for functionality and usability included drones, wearable sensors, augmented reality tools, 5G communication devices, geolocation trackers, command and control systems, and drone-mounted sensors. The technologies were tested in five different urban emergency scenarios involving surface and underground search and rescue operations in the event of an explosion and fire: an underground parking garage explosion; an apartment fire; a ladder rescue; hot smoke diving; and a multi-vehicle collision, search and hazmat response. The aim was to collect user feedback, identify future development needs and assess technology performance in realistic conditions. As reported in a SYNERGISE news item(opens in new window), the field test “showcased the evolving maturity of the SYNERGISE solutions, demonstrating their value in enhancing situational awareness, coordination, and responder safety.” According to the news item, its successful completion “lays important groundwork for the final component field test in Switzerland, as the SYNERGISE project continues to bridge the gap between technological innovation and real-world disaster response needs.”
Showcasing in Poland
Later in the same month, the SYNERGISE (A novel integrated SYstem of Systems streNgthening tEchnical and logistical capacities to ensure better Response to emerGencies by synergIStically addrEssing FRs capability gaps) project also took part in the Security Research Event 2025, held in Warsaw, Poland, on 24 and 25 June 2025. Co-organised by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs and the SEREN5 network of security National Contact Points(opens in new window), the event was attended by more than 600 participants, including academics, end users, policymakers and civil society members. During the event, whose theme was ‘Boosting security through EU‑based innovation’, SYNERGISE presented its innovative solutions through live demonstrations and interactive discussions. The project ends in 2027. For more information, please see: SYNERGISE project website(opens in new window)
