NATO works with North Macedonia to improve disaster response
With NATO’s help, North Macedonia is implementing a new system to enhance real time situational awareness and better deal with disasters such as landslides and floods.
The Next-Generation Incident Command System (NICS) is supported by NATO’s Science for Peace and Security (SPS) Programme. Once in place, it will enable first responders to exchange information rapidly and efficiently about an incident, including GPS locations or images via mobile devices.
“This project is one example of how the SPS Programme supports NATO’s Open Door Policy, by helping to prepare candidate countries like North Macedonia to contribute to common security and stability as a prerequisite to Alliance membership,” said Dr. Antonio Missiroli, NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges during a recent visit to Skopje.
North Macedonia has successfully tested the system during field exercises organized by the NATO Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC) in 2017 and 2018. More than 500 officials from various institutions have been trained on using the NICS, and all relevant public bodies plan to integrate and use the system by the end of 2020.