Lisbon Braces for Massive Earthquake Drill: Army Leads Over 300 in Emergency Response Test

Exercise Aims to Standardize Procedures and Reaction Capacity

The Portuguese Army, in collaboration with various entities, will test during the next week the military and civilian response capability to a scenario of a "great magnitude earthquake" in Lisbon. This exercise will involve over 300 operational personnel.

According to a press release, the Portuguese Army will organize from November 17 to 21 "the largest national exercise within the scope of Military Emergency Support, taking place in the Lisbon region."

This exercise will involve more than 300 operational personnel and 100 vehicles, testing and validating "the coordinated response of the Army's Military Emergency Support System to requests for support from the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC), in reaction to a scenario of a great magnitude earthquake in the Lisbon sub-region."

The "FÉNIX 25" exercise aims to train the response capacity of different military specialties "to requests for support from the Civil Protection structure," with the branch highlighting capabilities in "command, control, and communications," land search and rescue, military engineering, medical support, decontamination, and cynotechnics (actions with dogs).

This edition has the support and participation of several entities, including the Air Force, the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection, volunteer firefighters, the Lisbon City Council, the Portuguese Red Cross, the Republican National Guard, the Public Security Police, the Municipal Police, the Special Civil Protection Force, and the Lisbon Firefighters Sappers Regiment.

The goal is to standardize procedures and validate "interoperability criteria."

In 2024, the Fénix exercise tested the Civil Protection's response capacity to combat rural fires in the municipalities of Nelas, Seia, and Oliveira do Hospital.