With the evolving threat of climate change and the consequences of industrial accidents to becoming more severe, there is an increasing need for First Responders to access reliable and agile information management systems that offer as higher Situational Awareness and better Common Operational Picture. To match with current trends, the RESPOND-A project aims at developing holistic and easy-to-use solutions for First Responders by bringing together the complementary strengths of its Investigators in 5G wireless communications, Augmented and Virtual Reality, autonomous robot and unmanned aerial vehicle coordination, intelligent wearable sensors and smart monitoring, geovisual analytics and immersive geospatial data analysis, passive and active localisation and tracking, and interactive multi-view 360o video streaming. The synergy of such cutting-edge technological advancements is likely to provide high-end and continuous flows of data, voice and video information to First Responders and their Command & Control Centres for predicting and assessing the various incidents readily and reliably, and saving lives more efficiently and effectively, while maximising the safeguarding of themselves, before, during and after disasters. To this end, RESPOND-A envisions at exercising First Responders for getting familiar with the project technological outcomes, and demonstrating their real-world performance and effectiveness in the classified training facilities of our Responder Partners under hydrometeorological, geophysical and technological disaster scenarios.

The seven specific objectives of TOXI-triage address the operational; technological; ethical and societal dimensions of CBRN response and recovery, and importantly the economic base from which sustainable CBRN and multi-use systems are derived. 19 partners in 4 Task forces will deliver 9 Work Packages (WPs) that address: end user specifications; Design and delivery; Test and Validation; and, Impact. The approach defines a concept of operations that envisages accelerated delivery of situational awareness through an ensemble of embedded sensors, drones, standoff detectors (including cameras), artificial intelligence for processing sensor signals and web-traffic from social media, and centralised command and control. Wireless traceability of casualties provides dynamic mapping including medical care. 2 field exercises are intended to test and verify the operational attributes of the systems, and 3 WPs focus on impact to deliver: Exploitation; Security and Ethics; and Effective Innovation Management. Distinctive technological attributes of TOXI-triage include: rapid non-invasive assessment of exposure/ injury through monitoring metabolic markers of injury; managing and exploiting the semantic web; traceability by design; aptamer-based bio-sensing; casualty-to-discharge system integration; and integrated environmental and stand-off hazard designation. The approach is rigorous with clinical trials to test systems in poisoning clinics and live agent tests in laboratories designated by the UN’s OPCW. Distinctive societal attributes of TOXI-triage include: addressing the needs of all vulnerable groups; optimising inter-cultural/ethnic messages and needs in CBRN response; fostering economic impact by multiple-uses for all the project’s systems. TOXI-triage intends that its outcomes will be used routinely in medical/environmental/urban and search and rescue emergencies. The benefits are intended to extend significantly further then enhanced CBRN resilience

Biotoxins pose significant challenges to current crisis management approaches. Existing concepts of operation, derived from Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear doctrines, and Union Civil Protection Mechanism initiatives, do not address the distinctive and highly complex attributes of a biotoxin crisis. EMBRACE aims to improve Europe’s capacity to respond effectively to biotoxin incidents. We will consolidate and apply scientific and clinical knowledge of biotoxins to revise response protocols and deliver innovative solutions specifically tailored to address gaps and needs identified in current provision. Highlights include analysis of biotoxins not previously addressed in this context, risk-based recommendations for PPE and novel decontaminants, in vitro studies to identify human biomarkers of exposure, novel samplers, portable biosensors and field diagnostics devices, and software tools to assist responders in biothreat risk assessment. To ensure intersectoral and cross-border interoperability of these solutions and successful commercialisation of our exploitable assets, we will prioritise a carefully planned standardisation and valorisation programme. EMBRACE will engage with existing initiatives and projects to create a vibrant biotoxin knowledge network; a multi-sectoral community of stakeholders, on the basis of which a sustainable Biotoxin Task Force will be established as a source of expertise and guidance on biotoxin incidents both for EMBRACE and the wider community. The network of stakeholders and EMBRACE’s ambitious programme of scientific, technological, and operational advances will be supported by the creation of a biotoxin reference and stakeholder hub designed to facilitate knowledge exchange and provide users with direct access to widely distributed and expertise. Finally, EMBRACE’s innovative sustainability strategy will ensure that its solutions and the biotoxin community continue to thrive beyond the duration of the project.