The faculty hosted the 11th international staff exercise, this year focusing on drought and the challenges associated with it.
The international staff exercise Inter-Drought 2025 focused on addressing the consequences of long-term drought in the Czech-Polish border region. The simulation recreated a situation in a municipality with extended powers, where prolonged drought posed threats related to water availability, increased fire risks, and impacts on local public administration.
Students from the Faculty of Safety Engineering (FBI) and students from the Department of National Security at the Pomeranian University in Słupsk took part in managing the crisis situation. Under the supervision of academic staff and representatives of professional emergency services, they had to respond to a series of concurrent events – from a large-scale forest fire to the coordination of crisis measures at the municipal and regional levels, including cross-border communication in English.
“The Inter-Drought 2025 exercise allowed students to experience the work of crisis staff and emergency units in an environment that closely mirrors real conditions. Our goal is for them to develop decision-making under pressure, cross-border communication, and teamwork — skills that will be essential in their professional lives,” said Lenka Brumarová, head of the exercise and Head of the Department of Population Protection at the Faculty of Safety Engineering, VSB-TUO.
Involvement of experts and real-world institutions
The exercise also involved representatives of institutions that play key roles in managing emergencies in real conditions. In addition to the Fire Rescue Service of the Moravian-Silesian and Olomouc Regions and the Emergency Medical Services of the Moravian-Silesian Region, the exercise was observed by representatives of the Moravian-Silesian Regional Authority, the Moravian-Silesian Police, and the Secondary and Higher Vocational School of Fire Protection in Frýdek-Místek. Experts from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the Technical University of Košice and the Faculty of Logistics and Crisis Management at Tomas Bata University in Zlín also joined virtually.
The exercise took place at the Faculty of Safety Engineering in the Centre for Simulation Technologies (CESIT), which provides a unique environment for realistic crisis modelling. Thanks to its modular setup, it enables the integration of different command levels and the simulation of a dynamic evolution of an emergency in real time. As in previous years — when students tackled scenarios such as floods or migration waves — they managed all challenges with confidence.