The purpose of the exercise was to familiarize the students with the cooperation concerning emergency prevention, preparedness and response (EPPR) within the Barents Euro-Arctic Region, establish an understanding of different management tasks, and complexities during escalating cross-border emergencies, as well as build network and shared understanding among students within EPPR in the Barents Region.
Students from the three universities participated in the discussion-based exercise, where the Norwegian students met physically in Bodø while students from NARFU participated through a virtual connection. The topic was large forest fires spreading across national borders, and a mentor from the regional fire- and rescue service in Bodø participated and assisted the students during the discussions.
The students said that the exercise was relevant for learning more about international cooperation and sharing of resources, and they appreciated the opportunity to discuss with students from other universities.
The student Barents rescue exercise is related to the work of the UArctic Thematic Network on Arctic Safety and Security.