Warsaw Forum – Red Cross prepares for disaster situations

The Polish Red Cross organized the Warsaw Forum on October 12-13 – a two-day meeting for representatives of Baltic Red Cross Societies, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), strategic business partners supporting the development of rescue capabilities – Revolut Poland and Shell Poland Ltd., the State Fire Service, and the Ministry of Health. The forum was carried out as part of the Baltic Sea Region Meeting, which aims to address strategic topics and strengthen cooperation in the Baltic Sea region.

The main topic of the event was a discussion on the readiness of Baltic Red Cross Societies in the event of natural disasters and the establishment of strategic cooperation between the Societies, government administration, entities operating in the field of rescue and civil protection. For the participants of the Forum, it was a place for exchanging knowledge, experiences, and planning joint actions.

For participants of the Warsaw Forum, practical exercises were also prepared from the Emergency Disaster Response Unit (EDRU) module – a team of specialized personnel and equipment that the Polish Red Cross will be able to quickly deploy for foreign rescue operations in sudden, large-scale disasters and other situations requiring health and life-saving when local facilities have been destroyed. Each time, an EDRU team is created consisting not only of medical staff but also of logistics, humanitarian aid, and communication and safety specialists.

During the Forum, a ceremonial handover of rescue vehicles for 17 Red Cross Rescue Groups and the Humanitarian Aid Group of the PCK from Lublin took place. Thanks to the support of business partners Revolut Poland and Shell Poland Ltd., the Polish Red Cross is strengthening its capabilities to respond to potential future disasters and catastrophes.