Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1507818
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 17 SEPTEMBER 2023 8 INTERVIEW Raphael Vassallo rvassallo@mediatoday.com.mt Storms are getting 'stormier', In recent weeks, Malta's Civ- il Protection Department has sent teams to Greece and Lib- ya: both devastated by one of the worst natural catastrophes to ever hit the Mediterrane- an. (In Libya alone, the death toll has reached a staggering 20,000). Meanwhile, Malta was spared the effects of Storm Daniel: but we have witnessed our own fair share of extreme weather, in recent years. Am I right in assuming, then, that the purpose of these missions is two-fold: one, to provide as- sistance to those stricken are- as... and two, to provide train- ing for a worst-case scenario, unfolding here in Malta? Let me take a step back, before answering. For the past 20 years, the CPD has been participating in various overseas missions, through the European Union's Civil Protection Mechanism: which, in turn, falls under the auspices of the United Nations. This mechanism brings togeth- er the combined experience, and know-how, of various countries around the world – including the 27 EU member states – to offer both training courses, and also exercises in foreign countries. But they do not provide any di- rect training, on how to cope with an individual emergency. If you're a 'firefighter', for instance... they will assume that 'fighting fires' is something you already know how to do. Instead, the mecha- nism offers training on how to interact with different cultures; how to understand, and engage with, the different protocols and procedures; and especially, how to cope with the particular condi- tions that may arise, in any given country. In Greece, for example, the problem was 'wildfires', caused by extreme heat. So it's not enough to simply 'know how to put out a fire'. You also need to the knowl- edge of how to handle yourself, in extremely hot conditions. The situation in Libya, on the other hand, is considerably more complex. It involves intense flooding, resulting in extremely muddy conditions... with peo- ple either buried under layers of mud; or swept out to sea. In these circumstances, inter- ventions always require specific expertise. And to make matters worse, in Libya: unlike Greece – which is generally accustomed to 'extreme heat' – the sort of flood- ing we saw in Derna and Beng- hazi [caused also by the bursting of two dams] is practically un- heard of, in that country. So not even the locals have any expertise of their own, on how to cope with such an extreme disaster. But this where the UN mecha- nism comes in. There are other countries, in other parts of the world, that do have the neces- sary experience, and know-how. This is why the mechanism offers training on three levels, basically. One: they provide expertise, in areas where there is none locally. So if a 'forest fire' breaks out, in a country which has never expe- rienced that kind of fire before – they will send experts, to instruct the local CPD on the specific dy- namics of that kind of emergency. Two: they provide equipment, of any kind that may be needed. Malta, in fact, provides this type of assistance very often. We reg- ularly send medical supplies, and other essentials, to disas- ter-stricken countries. Thirdly, there are instances when we also send out our own teams, to assist in rescue missions abroad. And again, this is some- thing we have been doing for the past 20 years, now. Before Greece and Libya, there was the earth- quake in Turkey last March; and many other catastrophes. Now: whenever Malta partici- pated in these missions, we have always distinguished ourselves. This is recognised, even interna- tionally: Maltese civil protection officers are known to be flexi- ble; we are known to be 'hands- on,' and reliable; and we are also known to be genuinely commit- ted, to try to help wherever pos- sible. It is part of our character, as Maltese. So despite being a relatively re- cent institution – the CPD was founded 25 years ago – we now have a history, of consistently providing active assistance. All the same, however: we are still learning, with each intervention. When the earthquake struck in Turkey, for example: we al- ready had some experience of dealing with earthquake scenar- ios - even in Turkey itself – but this time, we also had to contend with situations of extreme cold. Our members therefore had to adapt themselves, very quickly, to working in cold conditions. Luckily, however, we enjoy excellent relations with the Ca- nadian civil protection author- ities; and they provided us with 'cold-weather training'... On the subject of 'dealing with the unfamiliar': Malta's CPD team in Libya is currently fac- ing a situation of truly cata- clysmic proportions. Derna and Benghazi are reportedly awash with the bodies of over 20,000 victims; and so far, team itself has only managed to uncover corpses, not survivors. Surely, a harrowing experience like that could have far-reaching psychological consequenc- es, for the rescuers involved. Does the CPD also provide psy- chological counselling, for its members? What we're seeing in Libya is certainly very traumatic, for the team. And it was a similar situa- tion in Turkey, too. But you don't always have to be exposed to such horrifying circumstances, to ex- perience PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). As firefighters and rescuers, our members are often faced with harrowing situations, even local- ly. Sometimes, that includes see- ing the body of someone who has been badly burnt, or mutilated, in an accident. Sometimes, it might involve doing your utmost to re- trieve someone alive, from a fire... only to watch helplessly, while that person dies in your arms. In such cases, you might ask yourself: 'Did I do enough? Did that person die, because I failed at my job?' And even if, for ar- gument's sake, you yourself will have done nothing 'wrong'... you might still torment yourself end- lessly, over questions like: 'But would it have turned out differ- ently, if I went in from HERE, in- stead of THERE...?' This sort of thing eventually happens to all of us. We're all be- ing constantly 'beaten down', at the end of the day; and none of us is 'made of iron', either. And after a while, you start recognising cer- Malta is by no means immune to the sort of natural catastrophes that have engulfed other parts of the Mediterranean. But CPD director PETER PAUL COLEIRO is confident that the country is well- prepared, in the eventuality of a cataclysm