Command and Staff Exercise on Civil Defense and Emergency Protection Held at Belhydromet

On May 28, 2026, a scheduled command and staff exercise (CSE) was held at Belhydromet in the field of population protection during threats and emergencies (EM) of natural and man-made origin.
The event was aimed at maintaining high combat readiness of the civil defense (CD) system and verifying the coordination of officials within the framework of the State System for Emergency Prevention and Response (SSEPR).

The command and staff exercise was conducted in five stages, each focused on practicing specific protection mechanisms:

                    – Management during an emergency threat: At this stage, the alert system for management personnel and the Emergency Commission (EC) was practiced. The readiness of employees to assemble during working hours was checked, the objectives of the CSE were communicated, and the leadership's ability to make decisions upon introducing an "Emergency Regime" was assessed.
               – Operation of the evacuation commission: This stage focused on the procedures for assembling and operating the evacuation commission. Participants refined temporary accommodation lists, practiced protocols for evacuating employees from buildings and assembling them at the main entrance for subsequent movement to a Temporary Accommodation Point (TAP).
                    – Deployment of civil formations: Next, the readiness activation of Civil Defense Civil Formations (CDCF) was carried out. Communication issues were practiced, as well as the transfer of the meteorological observation and radiation monitoring networks to an accelerated (hourly) mode for rapid tracking of the radiation situation.
                    – Radiation protection: In the fourth stage, employee actions were practiced under worsening radiation conditions. Sheltering employees in a protective structure and the decision to temporarily place the team at a TAP were rehearsed.
                   – Consequence management: The final stage simulated a fire in the Belhydromet building caused by a short circuit after a substation shutdown due to heavy rain. The CDCF fire brigade practiced extinguishing a simulated fire source using primary firefighting equipment, while unit leaders practiced employee evacuation.

Upon completion of the practical actions, the command and staff exercise was officially terminated. The leadership of Belhydromet analyzed the participants' performance, noting the satisfactory level of training of the CDCF personnel and the responsiveness of the command staff. The set objectives were achieved: the alert system was tested, the readiness of civil defense formations for designated actions was assessed, and practical skills for protecting employees in emergency situations were improved.

The conducted exercise confirmed Belhydromet's readiness to carry out its tasks of protecting the population and territories under any conditions.