7 -10 Oct 2003

Dacia 2003: Managing the aftermath of a ‘dirty bomb’ attack Overview Exercise “Dacia 2003”, scheduled to take place from 7 to 10 October 2003, is a contribution of Romania to the Partnership Work Programme (PWP) for 2003 More... Close to 1,700 civil emergency personnel from 19 NATO and partner countries are practicing fighting the consequences of a terrorist attack with radioactive material in Romania, 7 to 10 October. The exercise, Dacia 2003, starts with a terrorist group setting off what is called a ‘dirty bomb’ during a football match in Pitesti, Romania. Such a bomb combines a simple explosive with radioactive material. The blast disperses the radioactive material causing extensive contamination. In the scenario, 20 people are killed instantly and a further 20,000 affected by exposure to the radioactive material. Chaos and contamination An attack like this is a nightmare scenario for major urban centres. The exercise gives civil emergency teams a chance to rehearse vital response procedures. This is the first time NATO and partner nations have practised such a scenario and reflects the changing security concerns after September 11. Over four days, national and international civil and military emergency teams will practise working together to provide medical aid, detect and contain the radiological outbreak. Participants will also train in the evacuation of civilians, dealing with the public information aspects of terrorist attacks and other facets of this type of disaster such as the interoperability of communication equipment and procedures. Cooperation in dealing with natural and man-made disasters is an important aspect of NATO’s work with partner countries. This includes exercises to rehearse joint responses to civil emergencies, so that in a real disaster situation the response is swift and effective.