The town of Tromsø was swarming with rescue personnel from all four Barents countries today, as the large international rescue exercise was about to start. The exercise has been organized every two years since 2001, with the four countries taking turns in hosting it.
This year’s Barents Rescue, planned by the Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection on behalf of the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, is a two-day full-scale rescue and cooperation exercise. The different participating teams, organizations and agencies would all be naturally involved in crisis management and rescue efforts, if a major rescue operation was launched in the Barents region.
According to the scenario for the exercise, the immediate risk of a large rockslide in the municipality of Lyngen forces authorities to start evacuation of the population. Norway decides to ask neighboring countries for assistance. In connection with the evacuation, the rockslide and a following tsunami, there is an accident in a road tunnel which requires firefighting and so-called urban search and rescue. In a sub-scenario a large number of teenagers gathered at a youth camp in the area, will be affected by the events.
During the exercise all participants will face major challenges. Their own skills will be thoroughly tested, as well as interaction across sectors and national borders. Important factors are communication and cooperation between the countries, notification procedures and access to rescue resources.
Realistic scenario
The scenario for the exercise is not taken out of the blue. An unstable mountain side has been detected seven kilometers away from the settlement of Lyngseidet, which serves as base camp during the exercise. The mountain side, which moves with a speed of three centimeters per year, is under constant mapping and monitoring.
If a rockslide should occur, between 12 and 22 million cubic meters of stone will crash into the sea and create a 40 meter tsunami that can wipe out large parts of the settlements along the fjords in the area. Some 6000 people are living in the risk zone.
