NATO-Russia to practise anti-terrorist response
From 23 to 26 October 2006, a NATO-Russia consequence management exercise “Lazio 2006” will be held in Montelibretti (Italy), with the participation of emergency response teams from Italy, the Russian Federation, as well as Austria, Croatia, Hungary and Romania.
In this exercise more than 250 personnel from the participating countries, will deal with the consequences of a simulated terrorist attack. Exercise “Lazio 2006” is the third in a series of consequence management exercise conducted under the responsibility of the NATO – Russia Council (NRC). The first two - “Bogorodsk 2002” and “Kaliningrad 2004” - dealt with the consequences of terrorist attacks with weapons of mass destruction. Exercise “Bogorodsk 2002” focussed on a scenario involving a terrorist attack with a chemical agent and “Kaliningrad 2004” addressed the issue of biological consequence management. “Lazio 2006” will exercise response to the consequences of an explosion of a “radiological dispersal device”, or “dirty bomb”.
During the exercise, participating teams will work side-by-side to test how they can effectively respond to a radiological emergency. The teams will conduct several activities such as search and rescue, radiological detection and monitoring, decontamination and the delivery of medical assistance. Several techniques, including the use of “robots” and “air-mobile radiological detection” will be utilised during the exercise.
In parallel with this field training in Montelibretti, more than 150 experts from 29 nations will discuss, at the Senior Fire-Fighters Institute in Rome, issues related to the delivery of international disaster and humanitarian assistance; critical infrastructure protection; medical and psychological aspects of terrorist attacks; and legal aspects of emergency response operations.
MEDIA ADVISORY
Tuesday 24 October 2006
The exercise site is located at the Operative Training Centre of the Italian Fire Brigade, in Montelibretti, 40 kilometres north of Rome.
From 14.00 till 16.00 media are invited to visit the exercise site. Staff from the host nation, the Russian Federation and NATO Headquarters will then be present to provide information about ongoing exercise activities
At 16.00 a press conference will be held at the exercise site in Montelibretti, with the participation of:
Ambassador Maurits Jochems, Deputy Assistant Secretary General Operations, NATO Headquarters;
Prefect Riccardo Campagnucci, Head of the Directorate for Civil Defence of the Italian Ministry of the Interior
Mr. Yuri Brazhnikov, Director of International Cooperation Department, Ministry of Emergencies of the Russian Federation (EMERCOM)
For further information on the exercise and media arrangements please contact Mr. Evert G.J. Somer, NATO Headquarters, Operations Division – Civil Emergency Planning, tel. +32-2-707.2676 or Mr. Dario Caputo, Deputy Prefect, International Relations Department of the Italian Ministry of the Interior, Directorate of Civil Defence.
Tel. +39-06-465.471.92
