On May 26, a top-table exercise dedicated to organizing population protection measures during floods was held in Lori province.

The launch was given in the administrative building of Vanadzor Community Administration, where the exercise headquarters presented the operative situation. According to the scenario, infrastructure was damaged as a result of the flooding of the Debed, Aghstev, Dzoraget and Tashir rivers, as well as communication with Alaverdi community was cut off.

The working atmosphere was reminiscent of the crisis management process in Lori and Tavush provinces in 2024 due to the flooding of the Debed, Aghstev and Tashir rivers.

The discussion was joined remotely by the Deputy Head of the community Artur Manukyan and shared information on the current situation in Alaverdi community.

The participants of the exercise, according to the coordination areas, presented the actions to be conducted, touching upon ensuring communication, organizing medical care, public awareness and the distribution of forces and technical means.

After theoretical discussions, the exercise moved to the practical stage. The activities of rescuers and other forces involved in the simulation situations was monitored by the RS Deputy Director Artur Vardanyan.

According to the first situation, the units connecting the Sanahin station to Alaverdi town were collapsed, the adjacent territories were flooded, and the settlements were isolated. The Rescue Service was switched to enhanced service. It was necessary to evacuate residents by an alternative route, as well as transport first-aid supplies.

“During the river crossing, the forces are coordinated. The main difficulty is at the initial stage, when issues arise with the terrain, as well as with the transportation and fastening of ropes. The rescuers know their job well and do it properly”, said the Head of the Civil and Population Protection Department of the Rescue Service of the MIA Gurgen Martirosyan.

In the next scenario, a number of buildings were flooded, there were stuck citizens. The rescuers evacuated the residents using rescue equipment and moved them to a safe zone.

In the third scenario, an emeregncy call from residents of Alaverdi community was received to 112 Opertive Management Center of the MIA that the smell had felt in the area. In order to assess the possible source of the danger in the chemical contamination zone and the scale of its spread, chemical reconnaissance and response teams conducted monitoring and sampling activities.

“Emphasizing the role of exercises, the Rescue Service will constantly conduct exercises and training sessions so that the level of cooperation is higher and, simultaneously, our capabilities are higher to respond as quickly as possible and mitigate dangerous results. Our wish is that everything we saw and did remains exclusively as a training exercise”, said RS Deputy Director Artur Vardanyan.

The exercise allowed to verify and test the applicability of the response and disaster risk management plans of Lori Regional Rescue Department and disaster risk management plans of Alaverdi community, as well as to strengthen the capacity to effectively organize and conduct population protection measures in flood conditions.