Croatia emergency services conduct regional coordination exercises

Regional emergency services in Croatia recently conducted large-scale coordination exercises to enhance disaster response capabilities. In Prelog, the first regional meeting of rapid response services, titled ‘Pesjanek 2026’, brought together civil protection forces from six counties: Međimurje, Koprivnica-Križevci, Krapina-Zagorje, Varaždin, Bjelovar-Bilogora, and Zagreb.

The meeting aimed to strengthen inter-service connectivity, facilitate knowledge exchange, and improve coordination between operational forces. Officials emphasized that understanding the specific capabilities of different services is vital for rapid and efficient reactions during crises, particularly in areas prone to natural disasters near the Drava River.

Simultaneously, the ‘Podravina 2026’ tactical exercise was held in Rasinje, organized by the Koprivnica-Križevci County Firefighting Association. The drill involved 109 firefighters and 27 vehicles, simulating complex scenarios such as vehicle fires, road accidents with casualties, and search and rescue operations from rubble. The exercise included integrated support from police, emergency medical services, and the 112 Center to test multi-agency command and communication under high-pressure conditions.