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When crisis calls, volunteers can respond: CREWS pilot exercise in Hamburg
How can authorities make the best use of volunteers’ willingness to help during a crisis? A CREWS pilot exercise in Hamburg-Altona put this cooperation to the test, bringing together around 130 participants to respond to a simulated heatwave and flooding emergency. Hosted by CREWS lead partner Altona District Office and Hamburg Fire and Rescue Services,…
BSR DGs for Civil Protection met in Poland, discussed issues important for PA Secure
The Directors General for Civil Protection of the CBSS Member States met in Gniew, Poland, on 16-18 June 2026 for the 24th meeting of the CBSS Civil Protection Network, chaired by the National Headquarters of the State Fire Service of Poland. The meeting was also highly relevant for EUSBSR PA Secure, as the PA Secure…
Volunteers in crisis preparedness in Ukraine and Sweden: RiA-ENGAGE study visit
From 29 May to 1 June 2026, partners and invited experts from the Baltic Sea Region and Ukraine met in Sweden for a RiA-ENGAGE study visit focused on cooperation between public authorities, civil society and volunteers in preparedness and crisis response. The visit, hosted by the Swedish Civil Defence Association, included exchanges with Swedish voluntary…

NEEDS project concludes with innovative societal security course

The NEEDS project consortium has successfully wrapped up its three-year collaboration and project work on 31 August 2023, ending with the launch of an innovative online course on societal security and an online community dedicated to institutionalising societal security education. The aim of the NEEDS project was to bolster the quality, scope, and attractiveness of education in societal security by tackling the mismatches between education focus and the knowledge needs of the field. The ultimate goal was to better prepare the next generation working in societal security by enhancing their educational experiences with the most relevant, field-specific, and up-to-date knowledge and skills. 

The Needs-based Education and Studies in Societal Security (NEEDS) project spanned over three years, during which research, co-creation, and collaboration led to significant outputs including reports, case studies, a glossary, a joint-pedagogical approach, a handbook, policy recommendations, and most notably, an online course and online community. These results are now accessible to stakeholders who can take the online course and further their knowledge in societal security issues from the BSR. The course, hosted by the Swedish Defence University on the e-learning platform Canvas, is free of charge, self-paced, and only requires signing up. The course and community are linked, but can be joined individually as well.

More information about the project and the online course: 

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