BG EU MODEX 2025 - Direct Flood Response Exercise in Montana, Bulgaria

Bulgaria hosted the BG EU MODEX 2025 exercise in Montana from May 13–16, 2025, as part of the Union Civil Protection Mechanism training and exercise program. The event simulated severe flood scenarios affecting residential areas and critical infrastructure, providing flood-related civil protection modules with an opportunity to test their response capacity in an international challenging setting.

Participating modules:
Water Purification module from Austria
Water Purification module from Denmark
Water Purification module from Spain
High Capacity Pumping module from Slovenia
High Capacity Pumping module from Moldova
Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) capacity from Germany
Technical Assistance and Support Team (TAST) from Denmark
European Union Civil Protection Team (EUCPT) with embedded UNDAC representative

The EUCPT coordinated the deployment of international assistance, conducted needs assessments with local authorities, facilitated information exchange between modules and the Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) in Brussels, and supported overall emergency operations in the fictitious country of "Modulistan." The team established an effective coordination platform between international responders and local emergency management structures, ensuring targeted and efficient use of deployed capacities.

The exercise, organized by CN APELL-RO in collaboration with the Directorate-General Fire Safety and Civil Protection (DG FSCP) Bulgaria, challenged teams with realistic flood scenarios across the Montana region. Teams faced rapidly rising water levels, contaminated water sources and flooding threatening residential areas, hospitals and critical infrastructure.

This exercise tested coordination, interoperability, self-sufficiency, and emergency response skills in challenging conditions, focusing on water-related emergency management capabilities including high-capacity pumping, water purification, and drone surveillance operations.

Special Thanks to:

CN APELL-RO Romania – Consortium lead
European Commission - DG ECHO
Directorate-General Fire Safety and Civil Protection (DG FSCP) Bulgaria
Regional Directorate Fire Safety and Civil Protection - Montana
UN OCHA
Consortium Partners: Austrian Red Cross, Directorate General for Civil Protection of Sardinia Region (Italy), State Fire and Rescue Service Latvia, General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations Moldova, National Authority for Emergencies and Civil Protection Portugal and General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations Romania
City of Montana authorities and all local Bulgarian authorities and volunteer organizations who contributed to the success of this exercise

This exercise was funded by the European Union under Service Contract N°ECHO/SER/2023/905839 as part of the Union Civil Protection Mechanism training program, designed to enhance Europe's collective response to natural disasters.

Видео BG EU MODEX 2025 - Direct Flood Response Exercise in Montana, Bulgaria канала APELL ROMANIA