We are excited to update you with the latest progress of the IN-PREP Project since our last newsletter in May 2020.
Over the last months, Covid-19 has continued to force every H2020 project, including IN-PREP, to work differently and to innovate in order to reach our goals and to pursue the objectives of our action.
Despite these difficulties, we have successfully finalised the technical developments of the IN-PREP Project’s Mixed Reality Preparedness Platform (MRPP). We are also currently finalising the IN-PREP Cross-Organisational Handbook of Preparedness and Response Planning which will go live in early 2021. In addition, the Project carried out it’s 2nd full-scale exercise (FSX) remotely in October 2020. This was a significant achievement by the organising partners and showcased the Project’s ability to innovate in response to the Covid-19 crisis.
As we enter the final months of the IN-PREP Project, we will continue to update the Project’s website with the latest Deliverables, news and outcomes of IN-PREP and we hope to hold our 3rd FSX early in the New Year. This newsletter features information on the 2nd FSX, the training material which has been developed over recent months, the latest IN-PREP Publications and updates to the IN-PREP website and what to expect from the IN-PREP Project in 2021.
Yours sincerely,
The IN-PREP Project Team
What is IN-PREP?
Effective disaster planning and applied response rely on practising scenarios and making sense of the situation in a rapidly changing scenario so that appropriate response can be offered with accuracy and speed. Both evidence and research reveals
Insufficient links between agencies during crises
A lack of training capabilities to prepare different agencies across countries to work together during transboundary crises
IN-PREP is creating a preparedness system for training which includes:
The Mixed Reality Preparedness Platform MRPP – a novel IT based training platform that can exchange information with C2 systems
Training modules to facilitate transboundary preparedness
A Crisis Management Handbook for all agencies
The MRPP will be interoperable, connected with existing systems used across Europe. It will be an end-to-end crisis management training system facilitating augmented reality scenarios on multiple levels. More detailed information may be found at www.IN-PREP.eu
IN-PREP 2nd FSX – Genova and Savona, Italy
The IN-PREP Project held its 2nd full-scale exercise (FSX) in Genova and Savona, Italy on 28 October 2020. This was the penultimate full-scale exercise of the IN-PREP Project and the first to be carried out remotely due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The scenario for the 2nd FSX was based on a number of converging, multi-hazard incidents in the Italian region of Liguria, impacting mainly on Genova and Savona. The scenario was of a motorway incident and its resulting cascading effects including damage to critical transport infrastructure and potential hazmat exposure, complicated further by severe weather conditions in neighbouring regions and States which limit the availability of international assistance.
Due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2nd FSX was conducted as a uniquely remote exercise, combining both real and simulated actors responding to a crisis scenario in real-time.
The 2nd FSX was a considerable success for the Project and a milestone event as the penultimate exercise of IN-PREP. For more information visit the IN-PREP website here.
Highlights of the 2nd FSX in Genova and Savona, Italy from 28 October 2020.
IN-PREP Training Materials
As part of the IN-PREP Project, training materials have been produced for each exercise (both TTX and FSX) and are available on the Downloads section of the IN-PREP website.
In addition, IN-PREP partners have been developing videos showcasing the individual tools which are elements of the IN-PREP MRPP. These videos serve to both present the tools which have been developed and to act as training material for those who would use the IN-PREP MRPP in the context of collaborative response planning and training exercises. A playlist of the videos which have been produced so far is available on the IN-PREP YouTube channel here.
In the coming months, further material will be developed to present the IN-PREP Mixed Reality Preparedness Platform.
IN-PREP Publications
The IN-PREP website includes research and presentations carried out by partners over the last number of years which is open access for all to learn from the research and achievements of the IN-PREP Project.
You can find more publications from IN-PREP Project Partners by visiting the Publications section of the IN-PREP website here.
IN-PREP Deliverables
Since the IN-PREP Project began in 2017, partners have been producing Deliverables which highlight the work that has been completed in both the technology and policy development of the IN-PREP Project.
These Deliverables are published in full on the IN-PREP website in the case of Public Deliverables, with high-level Executive Summaries provided for Confidential Deliverables.
These Deliverables are important to track the progress which has been made by the Project over the last number of years and to serve as a record of lessons learned for future H2020 projects which will follow.
The IN-PREP Confidential Deliverables can be found on the website here.
The IN-PREP Public Deliverables can be found on the website here.
IN-PREP Next Steps
The IN-PREP Project will officially conclude at the end of February 2021. With that in mind, there are a number of developments planned for the Project which partners will be working on over the coming months.
The IN-PREP Cross-Organisational Handbook of Preparedness and Response is currently being finalised and will serve as a resource to all those involved in disaster management and crisis response and will feature information tailored for first responders and the organisations which they are members of, policymakers and citizens who have an interest in this area. We look forward to sharing with you the final draft of the IN-PREP Handbook in the coming months.
The 3rd full-scale exercise (FSX) of the IN-PREP Project will also take place in the New Year in a remote setting, similar to the 2nd FSX. This final exercise of the IN-PREP Project will present the finalised versions of the tools which comprise IN-PREP’s MRPP. The final scenario and information on how to join the 3rd FSX virtually as an observer will be shared in January 2020 so stay tuned to the IN-PREP website and social media channels for more information on the 3rd FSX.
The IN-PREP Project will also be hosting its final event and conference in line with the 3rd FSX at a date to be decided, early in 2021. This event will feature a presentation of the IN-PREP MRPP and Handbook and will showcase the technological and policy achievements of the IN-PREP Project over the last three and a half years. More information and an invitation to participate will be shared soon and we warmly encourage your participation in this final IN-PREP event.
Content reflects only the authors’ view and the European Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.
IN-PREP is a large Innovation Action Horizon 2020 (H2020) project in the domain of crisis management that focuses on the preparedness phase. The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 740627.
