On Tuesday 7 July, the Governor of West Flanders, together with several partners from the emergency response and rescue chain, organised a large-scale rescue and communication exercise along the Belgian coast.
During the exercise, two realistic scenarios were staged.
Testing the ‘First Responders’ Project
- In the first scenario, the new First Responders project was tested. Under this initiative, beach lifeguards can be deployed by the 112 emergency centre to assist with urgent medical incidents on the beach or in its immediate surroundings.
Thanks to their presence on the beach, lifeguards can often reach the scene faster than other emergency services. The project aims to provide life-saving care while awaiting professional medical assistance, thereby increasing victims’ chances of survival.
Search and Rescue Operation at Sea
- The second scenario required the activation of the Agreement on Rescue Operations along the Belgian Coast. A maritime search and rescue operation was simulated, involving cooperation between various maritime partners.
Assets deployed at sea included the 40th Search and Rescue Squadron based in Koksijde, the Voluntary Blankenberge Sea Rescue Service (VBZR) and DAB Fleet. The Marine and River Police were responsible for ensuring the safety of the role players, provided by Defence and Windhaan, but did not actively participate in the rescue operations.
Several emergency services also took part in the exercise on land, including Fire Service Zone 1, the Bredene-De Haan Local Police Zone, the MUG and PIT teams of AZ Oostende, the MUG of AZ Sint-Jan Brugge, the ambulance service from De Haan through Vlaamse Kruis, and the beach lifeguards of De Haan.
The exercise provides all participating partners with an opportunity to test procedures, further strengthen cooperation and exchange experiences in a realistic operational environment.
Efficient and rapid alerting is essential during emergencies at sea and along the coast. For that reason, the various emergency communication centres also play a central role in this exercise. The 112 Emergency Centre, the Communication and Information Centre (CIC) 101, the Maritime Rescue and Coordination Centre (MRCC) and the Maritime Information Crossroads (MIC) jointly tested communication and coordination between the services involved.
