120 volunteers complete their disaster Response training

RESPONSE behind the scenes: How volunteers prepare for emergency situations

Successful disaster response depends on more than firefighters, rescue teams and specialised equipment. It also relies on volunteers – people who choose to dedicate their time to learning how to help when every additional pair of hands can make a difference.

From 29 June to 3 July 2026, the sixth and final group of volunteers under the RESPONSE project completed its training at the Training Centre of the General Directorate Fire Safety and Civil Protection in Montana, Bulgaria.

With a budget of over €7.2 million, the RESPONSE strategic project is funded under the Interreg VI-A IPA Bulgaria–Serbia Programme 2021–2027. The project places a strong emphasis on volunteer training as an essential component of disaster risk management. Its partners are the General Directorate Fire Safety and Civil Protection of the Bulgarian Ministry of Interior, the Sector for Emergency Management of the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Serbia, the Academy of the Ministry of Interior of Bulgaria and the National Association of Volunteers in the Republic of Bulgaria.

The training in Montana marked the completion of the project's entire volunteer training programme. In total, 120 volunteers have strengthened their knowledge, practical skills and preparedness to respond to a wide range of emergency situations.

Over five intensive days, participants combined classroom learning with practical exercises covering forest fires, earthquakes, road traffic accidents, incidents involving electric vehicles, the use of drones for reconnaissance, floods and other emergency scenarios.

Yet disaster preparedness is about much more than learning individual techniques.

Each practical exercise recreates realistic emergency situations where participants must make quick decisions, remain calm under pressure and work effectively as a team. Through these simulations, volunteers develop the confidence needed to respond efficiently when faced with real emergencies.

As natural disasters and other emergencies become more frequent, the role of trained volunteers is becoming increasingly important. They are often among the first people to provide assistance at the local level before professional response teams arrive, and their preparedness contributes to faster and more effective emergency response.

With the completion of the training programme, the RESPONSE project has achieved another important milestone. Today, 120 volunteers across the Bulgaria–Serbia border region are better prepared to respond to disasters and emergencies. This is an investment not only in knowledge and practical skills, but also in the safety, resilience and preparedness of communities on both sides of the border.