The Final Demonstration (Final Demo) is the last Trial, concluding the series of DRIVER+ Trials. It also provides an opportunity to showcase the main outcomes of the Project.

The event has been tailored to the needs of the main End-User – the Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) – and will be conducted in accordance with the project’s methodology. The ERCC, situated in Brussels, was created in 2001, following the European Parliament Decision on Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM). It is the highest Crisis Management coordination body in the European Union. The primary aim of the UCPM is to strengthen cooperation between Participating States – Members States and others affiliated in the UCPM – in the field of civil protection, in order to respond to disasters as effectively and synergistically as possible. Since 2001, the UCPM has been activated over 300 times and each year the number of activations is growing. New innovative solutions, improving the realisation of the Union Civil Protection Mechanism tasks, are continually being sought.

The ERCC monitors the situation from Brussels and has an expert support group deployed on the ground called the European Union Civil Protection Coordination Team (EUCPT). The main role of the EUCPT is to coordinate activities in the field by liaising between the UCPM Modules and the Local Emergency Management Authority (of the country stricken by a disaster), in order to provide a common understanding of the needs and to ensure a relevant and timely response.

The Final Demo addresses the communication aspects between the UCPM components, mainly the ERCC, the EUCPT and the Modules, which are sent to the country in crisis by states affiliated within the scope of the UCPM. The main areas to be addressed are:

• reporting on the operational activities from the field to the ERCC;
• information exchange among Team Leaders of the Modules, and the EUCPT;
• geo-information support for situation assessment and decision-making for Team Leaders of the Modules and the EUCPT.

The Final Demo’s overall goal, similar to the other four Trials, is to follow the DRIVER+ methodology and show if, and how, the innovative DRIVER+ solutions can minimise a specific set of identified gaps in Crisis Management.

The Final Demo is being organised by the Space Research Centre of Polish Academy of Sciences with the support of Consortium Members, including: The Main School of Fire Service, the Joint Research Centre, Thales Communication & Security SAS, XVR Simulation BV, Frequentis AG and the Safety Region Haaglanden in The Hague. The Final Demo, as a command post exercise, has several locations. The different locations are expected to simulate remote conditions, in which different actors of the Union Civil Protection Mechanism work on a daily basis.

The fictional country Driverstan, situated outside the European Union but relatively close, is a democratic republic, however, is not yet as fully developed as the EU countries – it is lacking solid Crisis Management structures, a stable economy and a strong civil society. The scenario of the Final Demo will focus on largescale forest fires in a rural area with potential developments, causing a complex humanitarian crisis.

Due to high temperatures and lack of rainfall during recent weeks, the number of forest fires is multiplying in the country. Domestic response capabilities are not sufficient to cope with the fires alone. Driverstan creates a Request for Assistance (RfA) that is shared with the ERCC, EU Member States and affiliated countries. The Union Civil Protection Mechanism is activated and offers of support from different countries are gathered.

The scenario is expected to trigger an exchange of information between the ERCC, EUCPT and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). The use of the DRIVER+ selected innovative solutions, tested alongside the standard operational procedures of the ERCC, EUPCT and Modules, will show the potential added value of the solutions in such a Crisis Management situation.