FIRE-IN has been designed to raise the security level of EU citizens by improving the national and European Fire & Rescue (F&R) capability development process. FIRE-IN addresses the concern that capability-driven research and innovation in this area needs much stronger guidance from practitioners and better exploitation of the technology potentially available for the discipline. We argue that this is to be achieved by practitioners more effectively coordinating on operational needs, on available research and innovation, on standardisation, and on test & demonstration and training. Further, we claim the need for the development of a common research culture that is to be achieved by better cooperation between practitioner and research/industry organisations. FIRE-IN addresses these objectives through four main areas of activity: (i) the identification and harmonisation of operational capability gaps based on the contribution provided by a significant and heterogeneous practitioner network, (ii) the identification of promising solutions to address those gaps through monitoring and screening of research outcomes and the continuous involvement of research and industry representatives, (iii) the definition of a F&R Strategic Research and Standardisation Agenda (SRSA) based on the previous elements as well as (iv) the development of a concept for more efficient use of test & demonstration and training facilities to support innovation and joint skill development. The overarching result of the project will be a proven process for organising F&R capability-driven research based on a wide practitioner and research and innovation network. The network will be linked at cross-domain and cross-border level and will feed harmonised operational requirements (or challenges) into national and EU capability development, i.e. research, innovation, procurement and standardisation programmes.

The BROADMAP project will take the first steps towards future procurement of ‘interoperable next generation of broadband radio communication systems for public safety and security’ (DRS-18) to improve PPDR’s service to Europe’s citizens and enhance interoperability across borders. The primary goal of this project is to: Collect and validate the PPDR (Public Protection and Disaster Relief) organisations’ existing requirements with the aim to establish a core set of specifications, and roadmap for procurement, to achieve future evolution of EU broadband applications and interoperable radio communication solutions This project implements a Coordination and Support Action (CSA) with the purpose to inform and guide the future procurement of research and development, networks and devices and their deployment to realise new interoperable broadband networks, and the ecosystems of applications and services to support the PPDR and critical communications community. Project BROADMAP addresses the following goals: – To collect, assess and validate the PPDR’s wireless broadband communication requirements – To establish a core set of specifications to fulfil the requirements – To define transition roadmaps for research and standardisation for future evolution of European interoperable radio communication solutions, within legal procurement constraints – To prepare the ground for a new eco-system to catalyse new applications, services and processes making use of broadband capabilities for public safety and security – To utilise the strength of the PPDR community through our partners, their expertise, knowledge, networks and relations with the aim to achieving interoperability across Europe. This importantly includes nuances of societal differences, including different cultures, geography, processes and legal frameworks BROADMAP integrates 15 potential buyers/end users from 15 countries, 8 of which are responsible ministries. 48 further end users provide initial support.

The Nordic ministers responsible for civil emergency preparedness and emergency services concluded in Stockholm in 2009 on Nordic Cooperation on Civil Contingencies. Ministers looked to common values and a cultural and geographical proximity is an important basis for cooperation. In connection with the adoption of the Haga Declaration (HD) and signed by all ministers for Civil Contingencies. A vision in HD is to promote the increased Nordic participation in the respective countries training and exercises. This is in line with the Europe 2020 goal of making education systems more effective. To help achieve the objectives Haga Train the Trainers project (HTT) have developed partnerships in vocational training for Civil Contingencies. HTT has attached great importance to gain insight and learn from each other's educational systems.The main purpose of HTT project was to increase teachers' skills in teaching in various areas within the Civil Contingencies.It has developed a visitor and exchange system between schools in the project. By taking note of how others work, the project has created conditions for spreading ideas and development as well as for participating teachers to broaden their knowledge of the subject. It has increased the possibility of switching service and relocation of labor.The project has helped to increase and broaden the teachers' competence in education, distance learning, e-learning, simulation, experience feedback, examination and evaluation. The partnership has identified the specialist skills available at each training site in order to conduct training in a place with participants from all countries.It has built up a network between school managers. It has also become a natural interface and provided a better understanding of each school's strengths and areas of expertise.The project has consisted of representatives from the relevant authorities in each country; MSB, Sweden, DEMA, Denmark, DSB Norway, CMC Finland, MVS Island. Experience and competence level is high in the group, each partner has, however, different skills and abilities in the field.It has been conducted three seminars in three of the participating countries. The partners who are leaders in the field shared their experiences and knowledge with other partners. Each seminar content has an academic lecture, further, each country presented their views and practices on the theme of the seminar, group work and practical visits to the implementation of education. In the seminars, teachers, instructors and school managers from all countries actively participated. The topics of the seminars have been education, distance learning, e-learning, simulation, experience feedback, examination and evaluation.There have been three exchanges. Teachers from one country have visited another country and participated in their activities and they have gained knowledge of how other countries are planning, implementing and evaluating education.After each seminar and exchange has reported the participation of their own organization on local workshops to further disseminate experiences and to inspire others to do similar exchanges.After the project work it has become natural to have alternating service and eventually to work even more with the coordination of training programs.The fact that both school administrators and teachers are familiar with the other countries' approach facilitates the exchange not only of trainers, but also by professional firefighters between the different countries.Experience, skills transfer and networking between countries has strengthened the ability of teachers to train that will also benefit the students. This in turn gives better prepared rescue services that benefit society in an accident or crisis now and in the future.The partnership and the networks created during the project will live on. It's HD training group that has the task to operate and maintain the networks.The activities that the project has been designed, seminars and switching service, to be repeated in HD group. The procedures that have been developed by the project can be seen as a result and will be the basis for continued operations.We have in the project seen great benefits to every country has the responsibility to independently organize activities that the other countries have participated in. The project has been planned themes for the activities at the regular meetings and delegated responsibilities to each country to implement the activities. We have seen it as an advantage that a country has been the leader of the group and has been responsible for the administrative aspects of the project plan, finance and quality assurance throughout the project.Project organization and procedures for how to build networks between the countries' organizations working in the same area could be used in other projects and larger scale.