The Brčko District Supervisor and Principal Deputy High Representative, Michael Scanlan, attended a natural disaster response exercise organised today in Brčko by the BiH Ministry of Security. The exercise, the first of its kind in BiH, demonstrated the effectiveness of the “Next Generation Incident Command System,” a web-based software which enables better communication and coordination between protection and rescue bodies in civil emergencies. The NICS is being implemented in Bosnia and Herzegovina through the NATO Science for Peace and Security (SPS) project “Advanced Regional Civil Emergency Coordination Pilot.”
Supervisor Scanlan commended the collective effort undertaken by institutions and rescue services on different levels of government. “I am pleased that Brčko is the first city in Bosnia and Herzegovina to test the effectiveness of the new disaster response system. This exercise is a prime example of good cooperation among different levels of government in this country, and how efficient they can be when they join forces in the service of the citizens. And today, Brčko is better prepared to manage natural disasters such as the devastating 2014 floods.”
Earlier today, the Supervisor met with representatives of cultural associations in Brčko: President of the Serb Cultural Association “Prosvjeta” Dragan Tomić, President of the Bosniak Cultural Association “Preporod” Edin Jašarević, and Vice President of the Croat Cultural Association “Napredak” Lucija Zdravac. They talked about the importance of nurturing cultural heritage, and of the Brčko community valuing its diversity as a strength.
