MES employees take part in international exercise (video, photo)

From 7 to 12 September 2025, the “20th NATO EADRCC Emergency Management Exercise – BULGARIA 2025”, co-organised by NATO’s Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC) and the Bulgarian Ministry of Interior, took place in Montana, Bulgaria. The International Search-and-Rescue Unit of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the medical team of Administration of the Regional Medical Divisions (TABIB) also participated in the exercise.

At the official opening ceremony of the exercise, the Minister of Interior of the Republic of Bulgaria, Daniel Mitov, welcomed the participants involved in the exercise and spoke about the importance of the large-scale field exercise in terms of enhancing the capabilities for a rapid response to potential large-scale emergencies.

Later, NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska spoke about the goals and tasks of the “BULGARIA 2025” exercise and wished the participants success.

The aim of the field exercise was to ensure the coordinated elimination of damage to surrounding areas and critical infrastructure resulting from possible natural disasters and accidents.

In accordance with the exercise plan, the operations of the participating rescue teams were coordinated through the use of the capabilities of the Local Emergency Management Agency (LEMA), On-Site Operations Coordination Centre (OSOCC), Urban Coordination Centre (UCC), Emergency Medical Teams Coordination Cell (EMTCC), and the Joint Air/Drone Operations Coordination Centre.

During the exercise, the staff of the MES International Search-and-Rescue Unit were actively involved in search and rescue operations, successfully carrying out the rescue of victims trapped under debris in simulated traffic accidents and earthquake incidents, as well as supporting the organization of the Urban Coordination Centre’s (UCC) activities.

In addition, other employees of the MES involved in the exercise participated as "Evaluators" and "Observers," contributing to the progress of the exercise.

During the exercise, the medical team of the Administration of the Regional Medical Divisions (TABIB) was deployed to the disaster zones based on simulated information received from the Emergency Medical Teams Coordination Cell (EMTCC). They provided medical assistance to the victims and ensured their transportation by ambulance to the appropriate medical centers.

The exercise was successfully completed, and certificates were presented to the participants at the end.