Diagnostic Report Emergency Preparedness and Response Assessment Albania © 2021 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank 1818 H Street NW Washington DC 20433 Telephone: 202-473-1000 Internet: www.worldbank.org This report is a product of the staff of The World Bank and the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR). The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this work do not necessarily reflect the views of The World Bank, its Board of Executive Directors or the governments they represent. The World Bank and GFDRR does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of The World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. The sole responsibility of this publication lies with the author. The European Union is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein. Rights and Permissions The material in this work is subject to copyright. Because the World Bank encourages dissemination of its knowledge, this work may be reproduced, in whole or in part, for noncommercial purposes as long as full attribution to this work is given. Cover photos (left to right): Angkahn; REUTERS/Alamy Stock Photo; Chalabala. Back cover photos (left to right): Ollo; Martin-dm; REUTERS/Alamy Stock Photo. Diagnostic Report – Albania | 3 Acknowledgments This report and associated activities are financed by the European Union in the framework of the Western Balkans Disaster Risk Management Program, managed by the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery and the World Bank. This document is one of five Ready2Respond (R2R) analysis reports commissioned by the World Bank and conducted by Prepared International (PPI) to assess the emergency preparedness and response capacities of five Western Balkan nations. Each report includes a summary of the findings and identifies key investment recommendations for each of the five R2R components. The full diagnostic report is included as annex 1; further details on data collection are to be found in annex 2. 4 | Emergency Preparedness and Response Assessment Table of Contents Abbreviations 5 Executive Summary 6 Introduction 9 This Report 9 Country Risk Profile 9 Methodology 10 Overall R2R Results 11 Component 1: Legal and Institutional Accountability 13 Component Overview 13 Component Conclusions 13 Key Investment Opportunities 15 Component 2: Information 16 Component Overview 16 Component Conclusions 17 Key Investment Opportunities 18 Component 3: Facilities 19 Component Overview 19 Component Conclusions 20 Key Investment Opportunities 21 Component 4: Equipment 22 Component Overview 22 Component Conclusions 23 Key Investment Opportunities 24 Component 5: Personnel 25 Component Overview 25 Component Conclusions 26 Key Investment Opportunities 27 Annex 1: Full Diagnostic Report 28 Annex 2: Interview Overview 56 Annex 3: References and Consulted Documents 58 Figure 1. Emergency Preparedness and Response System Core Components 10 Figure 2. Diagnostic Scores for Albania 12 Figure 3. Scoring for Legal and Institutional Accountability 13 Figure 4. Scoring for Information 16 Figure 5. Scoring for Facilities 19 Figure 6. Scoring for Equipment 22 Figure 7. Scoring for Personnel 25 Table 1. Average EP&R Component and Criterion Scores for Albania 11 Diagnostic Report – Albania | 5 Abbreviations ASIG Albanian Authority for Geographic Information CECIS Common Emergency Communication and Information System of the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism CP civil protection DMIS Disaster Management Information System DRR disaster risk reduction EFAS European Flood Awareness System EFFIS European Forest Fire Information System EOC Emergency Operations Center EP&R emergency preparedness and response EU European Union GDP gross domestic product GIS geographic information system GIZ German Agency for International Cooperation hazmat hazardous material IGEWE Institute of Geosciences, Energy, Water and Environment IMCCE Inter-Ministerial Committee of Civil Emergency IncREO Increasing Resilience through Earth Observation IPA Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization NCPA National Civil Protection Agency NEOC National Emergency Operations Center NGO nongovernmental organization NMHSs National Meteorological and Hydrological Services PDNA Post-Disaster Needs Assessment PPI Prepared International R2R Ready to Respond SEE-MHEWS-A South-East European Multi-Hazard Early Warning Advisory System TAP Trans Adriatic Pipeline TESTA Trans European Services for Telematics TETRA Terrestrial Trunked Radio UCPM Union Civil Protection Mechanism UN United Nations UNDP United Nations Development Programme USAR urban search and rescue WASH water, sanitation, and hygiene WMO World Meteorological Organization 6 | Emergency Preparedness and Response Assessment Executive Summary I n 2020, the World Bank engaged Prepared International (PPI) to support the Western Balkan disaster risk management program by providing an assessment of current national and regional emergency preparedness and response (EP&R) capacities. PPI undertook country-specific assessments of EP&R capacity in five Western Balkan nations (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, and North Macedonia) using the Ready2Respond (R2R) diagnostic methodology. Based on these findings, PPI identified priority EP&R investments at country and regional levels. This report includes the assessment of Albania’s EP&R capacities and the associated priority investments; a more detailed investment report is published separately. The diagnostic is designed to be an objective, data-driven foundation to engage country counterparts in EP&R development projects. The methodology builds on five core components—legal and institutional frameworks, information, facilities, equipment and personnel—which are further divided into 18 criteria, 72 indicators, and 360 attributes. Albania has an overall score of 156 out of 360. The country’s scores range widely across criteria and indicators, with the lowest scores given for information management systems and geomatics, and the highest scores for financial preparedness and emergency social services. The diagnostic concludes that the EP&R system in Albania is well set up for everyday response. However, it also has clear development needs. The EP&R system lacks the operational foundation for effective and coordinated interagency response to larger-scale disasters. Major challenges facing the system include fully implementing ongoing legislative changes, building institutions, forming necessary emergency plans, and establishing a joint national training center for emergencies. The system should seek to move away from an ad hoc, reactive approach and instead work in a systematic, consistent, and integrated way, building on a long-term strategic vision. The R2R diagnostic has identified several gaps in structures, frameworks, and capacities. PPI recommends that before the system is further specialized to address specific hazards, investment should focus on the fundamental EP&R components so the country can respond to its main risks: earthquakes, floods, forest fires, and landslides. At the same time, the risk environment also encompasses new challenges such as climate change, migration, pandemics, and increasing tourism. The system needs to recognize these challenges, and can do so in part by further developing equipment and technology, building capacity, and reducing the high turnover in personnel. These changes will help ensure that Albania is prepared to cope with existing and new challenges in a professional and coherent manner, while allowing the EP&R system to grow in a resilient and sustainable way. Multiple good practices have been identified in the country. The challenge now is to create a unified framework and implement lessons learned to support both individual efforts and mutual strengthening of different initiatives. The investment plan includes three investment scenarios for a total sum of US$98,422,500, made up of short-term investments carried out over the first year (US$10,622,000), medium-term investments carried out over one to three years (US$54,810,500), and long-term investments carried out over more than three years (US$32,990,000). The investment plan also includes three sets of priorities for investments, as summarized in table ES.1. To ensure that technical assistance will be available for proposed investments, Albania’s EP&R agenda should be supported by other development partners in addition to the World Bank. Diagnostic Report – Albania | 7 Table ES1 Investment Priorities Support full implementation of legislative change Legal and institutional accountability Develop DRR guideline and emergency plans Legal and institutional accountability Invest in financial preparedness for disasters (Phase 1) Legal and institutional accountability Conduct risk & insurance info campaign (Phase 1) Legal and institutional accountability Foster community engagement (Phase 1) Information Invest in early warning system (phase 1) Information Invest in DMIS (Phase 1) Information Implement GIS (Phase 1) Information Strengthen EOCs (Phase 1) Facilities Priority 1 Establish National Emergency Training Center (Phase 1) Facilities 19,967,500 USD Invest in logistic centers (Phase 1) Facilities Invest in sheltering Facilities Strengthen local health stations (Phase 1) Equipment Invest in radio communication system (Phase 1) Equipment Strengthen hazard-specific capacities (Phase 1) Equipment Invest in firefighting and technical rescue (Phase 1) Equipment Strengthen staffing of NCPA (Phase 1) Personnel Conduct training and knowledge building (Phase 1) Personnel Conduct national and international exercises (Phase 1) Personnel Strengthen international support coordination (Phase 1) Personnel Invest in financial preparedness for disasters (completion) Legal and institutional accountability Conduct risk & insurance info campaign (Phase 2 included) Legal and institutional accountability Invest in early warning system (Phase 2 included) Information Priority 2 Strengthen EOCs (Phase 2 included) Facilities Establish National Emergency Training Center (Phase 2 included) Facilities 40,018,000 USD Strengthen local health stations (Phase 2 included) Equipment Strengthen hazard-specific capacities (Phase 2 included) Equipment Invest in firefighting and technical rescue (Phase 2 included) Equipment Strengthen international support coordination (completion) Personnel Conduct info campaign for risk & insurance (completion) Legal and institutional accountability Foster community engagement (completion) Information Invest in early warning system (completion) Information Invest in DMIS (completion) Information Implement GIS (completion) Information Strengthen EOCs (completion) Facilities Priority 3 Establish National Emergency Training Center (completion) Facilities 38,437,000 USD Invest in logistic centers (completion) Facilities Strengthen local health stations (completion) Equipment Invest in radio communication system (completion) Equipment Invest in firefighting and technical rescue (completion) Equipment Strengthen staffing of NCPA (completion) Personnel Conduct training and knowledge building (completion) Personnel Conduct national and international exercises (completion) Personnel Note: DRR = disaster risk reduction; DMIS = Disaster Management Information System; GIS = geographic information system; EOC = Emergency Operations Center; NCPA = National Civil Protection Authority. 8 | Emergency Preparedness and Response Assessment At the same time that it invests in development projects, the government of Albania is advised to structurally grow its personnel budget and hire and train new personnel in order to absorb the new tasks related to policy, analysis, and data management associated with the maturing system. The government is also advised to budget for maintenance and replacement of equipment and facilities at the end of their expected life span (figure ES.1). Investment priorities are based on the R2R diagnostic and first seek to strengthen the legislative and institutional frameworks to support the functioning of the other components. Identified priorities are also based on priority needs as assessed and as discussed with local organizations. PPI recommends laying a broad foundation for many developments; this approach promotes stronger response and coordination abilities and capacities in the short term while also supporting sustainable development over time. In order to strengthen broad institutional support for the approach, further discussion of priorities is advised. Figure ES1 Parallel Structural Budget Requirements Government is structurally Government is structurally growing the number of Government is structurally reserving budget for personnel to absorb new tasks funding maintenance of replacement of stock and associated with the maturing facilities and equipment equipment system Diagnostic Report – Albania | 9 Introduction T he Ready2Respond (R2R) framework was developed in reference to the role of the World Bank in disaster risk reduction (DRR). While strengthening emergency preparedness and response (EP&R) is a sound investment on its own, it also supports the World Bank Group’s broader risk reduction efforts and its fundamental goal of eliminating poverty and promoting shared prosperity. According to a recent World Bank report, the impact of extreme natural disasters is equivalent to a US$520 billion loss in annual global consumption, and forces some 26 million people into poverty each year (Hallegatte et al. 2017). A functional response reduces felt consequences and enables rapid recovery, reducing cumulative impacts to public safety and the economy. Thus ensuring capacity for emergency response protects World Bank Group investments across development sectors, as well as the development gains arising from those investments. EP&R capacity must keep pace with development and demographics to ensure these gains are not lost as a consequence of disasters and emergencies. In essence, an EP&R system with sufficient capacity is the first line of defense for World Bank Group investments and country development. This Report This report includes the assessment of the EP&R capacities of Albania based on the R2R diagnostic methodology, as designed by the World Bank and executed by PPI. Data from a desk review1 and from key informant interviews conducted as part of an online field mission2 generated findings on the five components of the diagnostic—legal and institutional frameworks, information, facilities, equipment, and personnel—which include 18 criteria, 72 indicators, and 360 attributes in total. This report provides a summary of the EP&R capacities per component, as assessed by PPI in the first half of 2020; the full assessment report, structured in accordance with the R2R methodology, can be found in annex 1. The report also identifies and makes recommendations about key investments that the World Bank and other stakeholders can consider as they seek to strengthen EP&R capacities in Albania. A more detailed investment report is published separately. Note that PPI had multiple interactions with the relevant stakeholders, including a virtual validation workshop (October 27, 2020), to discuss both the assessment and investment reports, and that a final check on prioritization of recommended projects was carried out with the National Civil Protection Authority (November 9, 2020). Country Risk Profile Albania is vulnerable to earthquakes, floods, forest fires, and landslides. The International Disaster Database (EM- DAT) shows that during the period 1979–2019, floods accounted for the major share of disaster events (38 percent), followed by earthquakes (15 percent).3 According to the annual World Risk Report (Bündnis Entwicklung Hilft and RUB 2019), which calculates the Disaster Risk Index for 180 countries based on exposure, susceptibility, vulnerability, and coping and adaptive capacities, Albania ranks first in Europe and 61st in the world. Of Albania’s total territory, 86 percent is prone to disasters; this area generates 88.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). Average annual losses due to disasters are about 2.5 percent of GDP, or about US$68.7 million per year. Albania is hit by approximately one disaster a year. Between 1980 and 2010, 23 major disasters occurred (nine floods, four earthquakes, and three extreme temperature events), with 163 fatalities and about 4 million people affected. The 2019 earthquake damaged 1,528 buildings and destroyed 50 residential buildings, 34 schools, 13 public university buildings, one health care center, and two bridges. 10 | Emergency Preparedness and Response Assessment Methodology The assessment uses the R2R diagnostic methodology, as designed by the World Bank. The methodology “improves national, sub-national and city resilience mechanisms and protects development gains through investments in emergency preparedness and response . . . systems” (GFDRR and GSURR 2017, 5). “The encompassing City Resilience Program . . . and other World Bank resilience platforms” inform the methodology (GFDRR and GSURR 2017, 5). The diagnostic is designed to be an objective, data-driven foundation to engage country counterparts in EP&R development projects. The methodology builds on the five core components of emergency preparedness and response shown in figure 1: legal and institutional frameworks, information, facilities, equipment, and personnel. Figure ➊ Emergency Preparedness and Response System Core Components Source: GFDRR and GSURR 2017. Each of the five components is measured by a set of criteria that addresses an aspect of a functional EP&R system for a given country. To score each criterion, 72 indicators related to 360 attributes have been developed. Diagnostic Report – Albania | 11 Overall R2R Results The R2R methodology’s 360 attributes represent elements of the EP&R system that should be in place in a system considered fully mature. The maximum score that can be achieved is therefore 360. Albania has an overall score of 156. This means that 204 attributes of the EP&R system are currently absent or were not in place at the time of the analysis. To support an overall understanding of the relative weakness or strength of elements in the EP&R system, the average score for each of the five components and 18 criteria have been calculated and transposed to scales from 0 (absent) to 5 (fully in place). These are listed in table 1 and represented graphically in figure 1. Table ➊ Average EP&R Component and Criterion Scores for Albania Component Score (0 to 5) Criteria Score (0 to 5) Legal and institutional 1.1 Legislated accountability 2.25 ➊ 3.38 accountability 1.2 Financial preparedness 4.50 2.1 Community engagement 1.75 2.2 Early warning systems 2.75 ➋ Information 1.31 2.3 Information management systems 0 2.4 Geomatics 0.75 3.1 Emergency operations centers 2.25 3.2 Training centers 3.00 ➌ Facilities 2.38 3.3 Logistics warehouses and response stations 3.00 3.4 Shelters and open spaces 1.25 4.1 Emergency social services 4.00 4.2 Information and communications technology 1.75 ➍ Equipment 2.06 4.3 Hazard-specific response capacity 1.25 4.4 Urban firefighting and technical rescue 1.25 5.1 Incident organization structures 1.25 5.2 Training and knowledge building 1.25 ➊ Personnel 2.31 5.3 Exercises and drills 3.50 5.4 International support coordination 3.25 Source: R2R assessment findings. Note. Scale from 0 (absent) to 5 (fully in place). Albania’s EP&R scores range widely across criteria and indicators. Financial preparedness is relatively strong, but this score does not completely reflect reality. Financial regulations are very well established, but actual implementation is not currently up to par, and the lack of structural funding affects the sustainability of EP&R project investments. Four components—information, facilities, equipment, and personnel—are all in need of further development. The system can address everyday response needs, but it lacks the operational foundation for an effective and coordinated interagency response to larger-scale events. For example, the incident command system was not adequate to handle search and rescue operations for the November 2019 earthquake. The EU Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) was activited for this event, as it was for the 2007 forest fires, the 2008 ammunition explosion in Gerdec, and major flood events in 2009–2016. Despite the existing legal framework, Albania continues to manage disasters on an ad hoc basis. The assessment identified several initiatives designed to address these shortcomings: ● Improved Forest FIRE PREParedness in Greece and Albania in the IPA (Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance) Cross-Border Cooperation Program Greece-Albania 2014–2020. ● TO BE READY project in the Trilateral Interreg Italy-Albania-Montenegro Program. ● Program for Improvement of the National Early Warning System and Flood Prevention/PRO NEWS in the framework of the IPA program. This initiative is designed to strengthen the capacities of operational structures for civil protection tools, equipment, and human resources. It is financed through loans by the Italian government (€30 million). 12 | Emergency Preparedness and Response Assessment ● The construction of the new National Civil Protection Agency (NCPA) building, with a fund of €3 million in the form of a grant. ● Resilience Strengthening in Albania–RESEAL. This project will be implemented by UNDP and funded by the government of Japan. It aims to mainstream disaster risk management. Figure ➋ Diagnostic Scores for Albania Source: R2R assessment findings. Note: Scale is from 0 (absent) to 5 (fully in place). In the R2R diagnostic methodology, the component of legal and institutional accountability is understood as central because its level of development determines the development potential of the other components. It is therefore important to note that the government of Albania made good progress over the last decade in strengthening the legal and financial framework. The next phase in the development of the system should focus on implementing the legislative changes within institutional policies, procedures, and operational practices; it should also seek to grow financial and human capacities so that newly distributed tasks and responsibilities can be carried out. Currently the system appears more mature on paper than it is in reality. The diagnostic found gaps in the following areas, which are elaborated on in the report: (1) Disaster Management Information System (DMIS), (2) geomatics, (3) shelters and open spaces, (4) hazard-specific response capacity, (5) urban firefighting and technical rescue, (6) incident organization structures, (7) training and knowledge building, and (8) community engagement. The system is challenged by partially obsolete equipment, outdated fire trucks, and the absence of both a national training center and an integrated, well-equipped, and functioning Emergency Operation Center (EOC). Diagnostic Report – Albania | 13 COMPONENT 1 Legal and Institutional Accountability Component Overview Internal and external clarity about the role of various public and private agencies is critical during disaster and emergency response. Where ambiguity exists, inefficiency and jurisdictional overlap are likely, and human and economic losses may be greater than they would otherwise be. Improving clarity about institutions’ preparedness and response roles can be a potent means to improve resilience at various levels of government. Further, clarity about roles ensures that World Bank investments in capacity do not lead policy but instead that policy comes first, with financial and technical support provided at the right time to the right agency. Figure ➌ Scoring for Legal and Institutional Accountability Ideally these accountabilities are clearly enshrined in legislation with directive regulations. 5 Where possible, coordinated policy instruments 4 should identify the operational expectations for agencies assigned a preparedness and response 3 mandate. However, even in the absence of 4.50 complete organizational clarity, investment in 2 preparedness and response can often improve a 1 2.25 jurisdiction’s ability to mitigate impacts and limit 0 disaster- and emergency-related losses. Legal Financial accountability preparedness Source: R2R assessment findings. Note: Scale is from 0 (absent) to 5 (fully in place). Component Conclusions Although up-to-date technology, strong civic engagement, and other improvements can contribute positively to the level of emergency preparedness, the protection of citizens remains a fundamental responsibility of government, and no country can respond effectively to a major or complex emergency when (institutional) roles and responsibilities are not clearly defined in the law, well understood by actors, and implemented through agreed protocols and procedures. Over the last decade, the government of Albania made impressive progress in reviewing and revising the EP&R legislative framework. However, the process is not completed at this stage, and this causes some ambiguity in the system. Old bylaws that do not directly contradict the new civil protection law are still in effect in some areas.4 There is an urgent need to continue legislative developments, but the COVID-19 outbreak (and the 2019 earthquake) have interfered with this effort. A major change introduced by the new legislation is the transfer of civil protection (CP) responsibilities from the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Interior to the Ministry of Defense. The new Albanian CP system is also more explicitly divided into three levels: national, qark, and municipal.5 As a result, prefects and mayors are now responsible for The new legislation is Law No. 45/2019, On Civil Protection, Official Gazette of the Republic of Albania, No. 113, Tirana, August 2019. 4 This change is part of the territorial reform process of 2015 (under Law No.115/2014). 5 14 | Emergency Preparedness and Response Assessment disaster risk reduction (DRR). However, the funding to carry out this responsibility is mostly insufficient; the human capacity to comply with the new legislative realities and obligations is problematically low; and central guidance (for instance, solutions for shared challenges) is absent. Delegation of authority is clearly defined in the new law. Upon the declaration of a natural disaster,6 an Inter- Ministerial Committee of Civil Emergency (IMCCE) is assembled, and Heads of Operations are nominated at the central, qark, and municipal levels. Drafting operational procedures for disaster response at municipal level is ongoing in Albania but is a slow process. A multiyear, hands-on program to assist in legislative and policy development is therefore advised. To facilitate capacity building and knowledge transfer, external technical hands-on support should go hand in hand with capacity growth that is rooted in sufficient and sustained government funding. Albania does not have a risk management strategy that clarifies contingent liabilities, outlines short-term financing following disasters, or ensures long-term reconstruction financing. A multipurpose reserve fund, however, can be used for civil protection purposes at the discretion of the Council of Ministers. Municipalities are obliged to reserve at least 4 percent of their budget for DRR and CP response,7 but these allocations are mostly insufficient. In addition, the ministries responsible for CP tasks are required to reserve between 2 percent and 4 percent of their total annual budget for CP. At this central level, reservations are also lower than required—a situation that hampers the system’s ability to mature. A reconstruction fund was used after the earthquake in 2019 to allocate and disburse resources for response and early recovery. Tracking and reporting on emergency response costs, authorizations, and processing is done at all levels. Control is executed by the State Supreme Audit authority. No financial decision-making tools or fiscal forecasts incorporating disaster scenarios are available for assessing the costs and benefits of disaster financing. Disaster risk financing constitutes an important gap. The Ministry of Defense has no budget available to address the impact of natural disasters.8 When a natural disaster occurs, funding is reallocated for response (Albanian Daily News 2020), but there is no comprehensive overview of budget available for preparedness. Currently, an in-depth disaster risk financing assessment for Albania is ongoing (World Bank 2020). The government has policies in place to support personal and agriculture financial risk transfer through the financial market, and to support reinsurance companies (World Bank 2020). Still, insurance premiums for many families are too high. 6 Declaration of a natural disaster is covered in Articles 170 and 174 of Albania’s Constitution. 7 Law No. 88/2019, On the Budget of 2020. 8 See section 5 of the 2020 budget, available on the Ministry of Finance and Economy website at http://www.financa.gov.al/buxheti-2020/. Diagnostic Report – Albania | 15 1 Key Investment Opportunities RECOMMENDATION 1 Support the full implementation of the ongoing legislative change and institutional building and create an outline for a new national civil emergency plan The new legal framework is mostly in place, but the effective implementation and adaptation of response plans, policies, and procedures requires external support. Albania should be assisted in drafting a general outline of a new National Civil Emergency Plan9 through an all-stakeholder inclusive procedure. At the same time, it should also build and expand relevant leadership and policy capacities to sustain development and guarantee consistent implementation throughout the EP&R system. The implementation, which should take between one and three years, should address the effects of climate change and include assistance in drafting of standard operating procedures, financial decision- making, and interagency coordination and cooperation. RECOMMENDATION 2 Support the development of a DRR guideline and guidelines for emergency plans on the municipal level Supporting municipalities in the construction of a sustainable DRR system is a clear tipping point investment, as current plans are not in place. To engender the required growth in municipalities and in organizations, support should include teaching and coaching of leadership personnel, knowledge building, and assistance. Plans need to be uniform in structure but reflect specific needs of local areas throughout the country. RECOMMENDATION 3 Improve financial preparedness for disaster To avoid ad hoc decision-making and ensure consistency in allocations, financial preparedness for EP&R needs to be improved. In accordance with the World Bank’s ongoing disaster risk finance diagnostic in Albania, the review recommends supporting the development of a comprehensive disaster risk finance strategy and the implementation of priorities identified, together with a sustainable financial model for national and local EP&R actors. The model should be adaptable and consider the needs of the various EP&R actors. It should also regulate the division of resources across EP&R actors and provide guidance on how to coordinate international donations with existing resources. The Albanian government’s development of insurance (World Bank Group 2014, 5) and specific risk financing instruments are recommended to support and augment the sustainability of this investment (World Bank 2020, 7). RECOMMENDATION 4 Implement an information campaign on risks and insurance Although private insurance products are in place, an inclusive information campaign should be carried out to inform households, farmers, and businesses about possible risks and the importance of being properly insured. A communication approach to the public could be linked to a broader community engagement initiative. According to WHO and UNDP (2011), the National Civil Emergency Plan (2004) “does not feature individual sectoral plans, but is nonetheless 9 linked to sectoral strategies and contingency plans such as the National Environmental Action Plan, the Strategy related to Forest Fires, the Contingency Plan related to Radioactivity or the Initiative on Land Use and Watershed Management.” The National Security Strategy, approved in 2014, establishes the foundations of Albania’s national security planning. It succeeds the National Civil Emergency Plan and the Law on Civil Emergency, which were developed prior to the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015. 16 | Emergency Preparedness and Response Assessment COMPONENT 2 Information Component Overview The collection, analysis, and swift dissemination of information enables better decision-making in advance of emergencies, during response operations, and through the transition to early recovery. Impacts from emergencies are felt locally, and so community engagement is vital to a well-developed state of preparedness. The information used for preparedness and response includes the information generated from early warning systems; this information provides local residents—and the response teams that support them—with advance notice of emerging hazardous events. Other relevant emergency information comes from responding agencies and social media; coordination of this information ensures horizontal and vertical situational awareness that enables efficient, coordinated, and prioritized response operations. Finally, the development of hazard and vulnerability maps along with other georeferenced emergency information, captured digitally and shared electronically, provides decision-makers with a key resource for planning across time scales to reduce risk. However, for high-quality information to have an impact, it must be utilized both by the affected community and by well-trained, committed personnel that have the appropriate equipment to respond safely and effectively to the given event. Figure ➍ Scoring for Information 5 4 3 2 2.75 1 1.75 0 0.75 0 Community Early warning Information Geomatics engagement systems management systems Source: R2R assessment findings. Note: Scale is from 0 (absent) to 5 (fully in place). Diagnostic Report – Albania | 17 Component Conclusions Though volunteerism exists within current community practices, volunteer emergency responders do not have a strong presence in Albania’s EP&R system. The legal framework entrusts mayors with the establishment of permanent trained and equipped volunteer firefighting teams in their jurisdictions;10 however, only two such teams have actually been established to date, in the municipalities of Tirana and Kavaja. Programs to support small-scale community- led mitigation works are not present. Although the law calls on municipalities to organize CP training activities for employees and residents in their territory,11 there are no training initiatives besides those of the Albanian Red Cross. A functional early warning system is partially in place, but maintenance of the different monitoring stations, especially the hydrometeorological stations, must be improved.12 A strategic plan for a modern geomatic service is also needed, and there is an urgent requirement to strengthen interagency cooperation between various forecasting and early warning entities. The Institute of Geosciences, Energy, Water and Environment (IGEWE) is the official public hydromet agency, but is not as such empowered to coordinate the functioning of the overall system and actors. At this time, IGEWE lacks the necessary close collaboration with NCPA and other institutions responsible for meteorological and geophysical hazards. The Albanian Authority for Geographic Information (ASIG), a state-owned central agency that functions very well, has responsibility to support NCPA. It offers a significant geoportal that can be accessed by the public. However, neither disaster risk management agencies nor the broader community currently have the necessary capacity to take advantage of these resources in an appropriate way. For all hazards, software programs are available for modeling. IGEWE staff receives some training from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), European Flood Awareness System (EFAS), and European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) as well as from programs under the IPA. Further capacity building is required to strengthen analytical knowledge and policy making. Monitoring and surveillance centers are not properly equipped with hardware for data analysis, and a backup system is not always in place. Crowdsourced data are not incorporated in the analysis during response activities. Procedures for issuing public warnings are in place, but currently there is no reliable warning message system available. The old siren alarm system is mostly dysfunctional and should be replaced. Albania has no integrated DMIS in place and would benefit from a connection to the Trans European Services for Telematics (TESTA) network, which enables connectivity to the European Common Emergency Communication and Information System (CECIS). Geographic information system (GIS) capacities are mostly available to ministerial level users through the Albanian Authority for Geographic Information. With the current systems in place it is not possible to integrate GIS-generated data and early warning system data to support situational awareness. 10 The legal framework is made up of Law No. 45/2016, On Volunteering; Law No. 45/2019, On Civil Protection; and Law No. 152/2015, On Fire Protection and Rescue Service. 11 Law No. 7894/1994, On the Albanian Red Cross. 12 The Austrian Central Institution for Meteorology and Geodynamics (ZAMG) is carrying out a project to support this effort, with technical assistance by the World Bank; see ZAMG (2016). 18 | Emergency Preparedness and Response Assessment 2 Key Investment Opportunities RECOMMENDATION 1 Implement and strengthen community engagement initiatives Despite being required by Law No. 45/2019, community engagement initiatives are currently weak and will require support to develop a significant presence in Albania. The most important goal is to strengthen community engagement in CP by supporting Albania’s volunteer firefighters. Communities are both the first affected and the first to respond in the case of a hazard impact. An all-inclusive EP&R system provides a structure to engage actors at various levels, ranging from the national to local. Enhancing community awareness can be achieved through accessible and regular training and capacity building by civil protection actors. Communities can be empowered through enhanced risk understanding and knowledge of short-term preparedness measures for self-protection; these can significantly reduce disaster response time and help establish the awareness needed to build resilience with small investments. Informing the public of possibilities and options for engagement and providing incentives for participation must be part of the process. The review recommends assessing Central and Eastern European programs for community engagement that incentivize households to increase preparedness, and then adopting best practices, such as dispensing first aid kits to participants. RECOMMENDATION 2 Further develop of forecast and early warning systems IGEWE should be developed and given authority with sufficient budget to coordinate the various entities working on forecasting and early warning, including on the operational level. Well-trained observation and monitoring personnel are needed to support and build institutional capacity in early warning and early response. An effective and efficient end-to-end early warning system depends on integration with response capability on the ground and in the communities. Achieving this will require a strong connection with the NCPA as well as development of communities’ preparedness and response capabilities and resilience. Strong early warning systems are part of emergency planning and response and will reduce alert and response time as well as exposure of those at risk. Therefore, a broad and multidimensional programmatic approach is needed. Investments should seek to optimize the meteorological and hydrological network by training observation and monitoring personnel and by improving (or establishing) infrastructure, protection measures, and interfaces for applications as well as early warning systems. Additional equipment and technology should be purchased, and membership in international organizations like the European Meteorological Network (EUMETNET) or European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) should be pursued. The analysis also recommends investing in automatization and adaptation of the observational network, network extension (radar, lightning detection, instrumentation of the Tirana Airport), and the implementation of nowcasting systems and advanced flood forecasting systems. Given Albania’s high seismic risk, a seismic early warning network of the latest generation is recommended; this could automatically close Seveso installations or trigger emergency systems in key infrastructure like hospitals or energy supply. RECOMMENDATION 3 Develop and implement Disaster Management Information System (DMIS) Albania is in need of a DMIS that is linked to all relevant stakeholders. The system will enable stronger operational awareness and inform operational decisions with reduced response times. The DMIS will also support coordination between all actors of Albania’s EP&R system. Capacity for data gathering and management should be built in tandem. RECOMMENDATION 4 Implement Geographic Information System (GIS) In CP In Albania The analysis suggests introducing GIS into CP and all related organizations and institutions to support situational awareness, especially during the lifesaving phase immediately after emergencies. Organizations should be equipped with GIS for their daily operation and should have access to programs like QGIS, an open source application, or Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) maps, to display and analyze data. Diagnostic Report – Albania | 19 COMPONENT 3 Facilities Component Overview Coordination of effort for EP&R activities requires a structural presence, be it for command and control, movement of emergency aid, or the staging of response teams and their equipment. These physical facilities act as a core element in establishing a culture of preparedness, ensuring a dependable common operating picture and resilient services when most other critical infrastructure and government services are disrupted. This component ensures that there is a nexus for information, personnel, and equipment as the EP&R system matures through focused investment. Figure ➎ Scoring for Facilities 5 4 3 2 3.00 3.00 1 2.25 1.25 0 Emergency Training centers Logistics Shelters and open operations centers warehouse and spaces response stations Source: R2R assessment findings. Note: Scale is from 0 (absent) to 5 (fully in place). 20 | Emergency Preparedness and Response Assessment Component Conclusions There are currently several separate Emergency Operation Centers at central level that function 24/7. The National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) and the EOCs at the qark and municipality level do not fulfill the minimum operational requirements. A backup system for the EOCs is missing, and the operational budget is insufficient for basic maintenance and ongoing service provision. The operational costs are partially covered through donations as part of international and regional development projects. There is a lack of equipment and of professionally trained staff at EOCs at all levels. In the absence of a DMIS, the facilities lack relevant statistical data to support situational awareness and decision-making during response and early recovery. To strengthen the organizational capacity of the EOC network, NCPA should further develop an operational level guideline on how EOCs can cooperate with each other.13 All involved EOCs should have the same or compatible technical equipment (DMIS, linkage to an early warning system, GIS and QGIS, etc.) to strengthen interoperability. Albania does not have a multi-agency national (central level) DRR and CP training center. There were plans to establish a training center under the NCPA,14 but funding was lacking and NCPA is still in the restructuring phase. Establishing a training center was also identified as a priority in the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) after the November 2019 earthquake (Government of Albania 2020a). Training in basic firefighting is sporadically conducted by the Security Academy. The Red Cross, armed forces, and State Police have their own training centers, which they sometimes rent to other organizations. The existing local training centers are poorly equipped but can accommodate participants for trainings on site. The IMCCE is designated as lead agency to coordinate deployment and storage of international and domestic supplies during natural disasters. When a natural disaster situation is not formally declared, the Ministry of Defense acts as lead. The key stakeholders for warehousing in Albania are the State Reserve Directorate (six warehouses), Ministry of Defense (five warehouses), and Red Cross (six warehouses) (Government of Albania 2020b). The State Reserve Directorate is in overall charge of governmental warehouses as well as transport of goods to the warehouses. A modern communication and record-keeping infrastructure is not in place but is identified as a need to minimize loss and waste of stored items. There are intentions to store all goods in the State Reserve warehouses, but the independent Red Cross will continue to store its equipment and goods separately in its own facilities. The State Reserve was the focus of international criticism due to its outdated modus operandi during the 2019 earthquakes, and it will need a systemic review and capacity building of its personnel. Tirana International Airport has procedures in place that facilitate fast processing of incoming goods. Warehouses are prepared inside the limits of the airport to guarantee that donated relief items are tax exempt. Most of the municipalities have not prepared designated open spaces, shelters, or evacuation signs, although it is their legal responsibility to do so. Firefighting, State Police, and ambulance response stations are in place throughout Albania. These stations are partly equipped and staffed to respond effectively to most daily emergency needs, such as ambulance transport, fighting of structure fires, and rescue appropriate for the jurisdiction. Firefighters in general are lacking personnel and equipment to respond to larger and more complex incidents. Evacuation and sheltering are local-level responsibilities. Usually, the municipalities do not plan for emergency sheltering apart from the incidental sheltering buildings. Emergency sheltering tents are stored at the State Reserve and Red Cross, but in very limited numbers; and the quality does not meet accepted standards for use during winter conditions. Temporary sheltering is mostly improvised, and most displaced persons are supported by relatives. A manual on “coping with civil emergencies,” dated December 2003, has a chapter dedicated to the function and management of EOCs. 13 Decision of the Council of Ministers No. 747/2019, On the Organization and Functioning of the National Civil Protection Agency, Official 14 Gazette of the Republic of Albania, No. 159, Tirana, November 2019. Diagnostic Report – Albania | 21 3 Key Investment Opportunities RECOMMENDATION 1 Strengthen network of emergency operation centers (EOCS) As most of the existing EOCs are old and not properly equipped, investment is needed to (re)build EOCs across Albania. The EOCs and backup systems should be equipped according to existing European standards and operational procedures designed to be fit for purpose. EOCs across the country need their emergency plans upgraded. Staff needs to be provided with modern training and capacity-building systems. In addition, NCPA should further develop an operational level guideline on how EOCs can communicate, exchange data, and cooperate with each other. RECOMMENDATION 2 invest in a national emergency training center Although various training facilities exist, there is an urgent need for a national emergency training center. The new center should be situated in an area with enough space to accommodate participants as well as designated training sites, including a site for urban search and rescue (USAR) operations, technical training, etc. Eventually, a backup support center for the NEOC can be integrated on site and staffed during emergencies. RECOMMENDATION 3 Invest in local response stations and logistics warehouses Investment is needed to bring local response centers to a minimum standard by updating old and defunct equipment, reviewing plans, and establishing centers in areas that currently lack them. These centers should be modernized to ensure that they can support the work of the NEOC. Additionally, existing warehouses must be maintained and updated according to current acceptable standards, with appropriate equipment for storage and a modern communication and record-keeping infrastructure. A review of the State Reserve Directorate should be conducted, and modern operational procedures implemented. RECOMMENDATION 3 Invest in a sheltering strategy and system The 2019 earthquake showed that relying on hotel rooms and a limited number of nonwinterized tents is not sufficient even for a medium-scale emergency, let alone a larger event. Investment and capacity building are needed to provide qarks with a sufficient number of winterized tents and sets of camp equipment. The diagnostic recommends design of a rapidly deployable camp module with a 50,000-person capacity, made up of 10 submodules with a 5,000-person capacity. The module is to be hosted by three different locations and maintained. 22 | Emergency Preparedness and Response Assessment COMPONENT 4 Equipment Component Overview The appropriate acquisition, use, and maintenance of preparedness and response equipment ensures timely information sharing and safe, effective rescue operations. It allows for effective communication in even the harshest conditions. Investments in equipment help governments overcome the capital requirements to ensure access to lifesaving technologies and resources. Combined with clear implementation guidance, established parts and service supply chains, and program budgets for maintenance and upgrades, these elements ensure a government’s core preparedness and response agencies have the tools to safely and effectively deliver their services. Figure ➏ Scoring for Equipment 5 4 3 2 4.00 1 1.75 1.25 1.25 0 Emergency Training centers Logistics Shelters and open operations centers warehouse and spaces response stations Source: R2R assessment findings. Note: Scale is from 0 (absent) to 5 (fully in place). Diagnostic Report – Albania | 23 Component Conclusions All key CP sectors of Albania suffer from a lack of equipment. Ambulances for emergency services, fire trucks with equipment for all types of fire rescue, training equipment, and rescue equipment for various specific teams are extremely limited or in need of replacement. Investment in equipment should be based on interoperability and European standards. Existing equipment was received as donations from a variety of sources, and as a result, systems are not interoperable or compatible, in turn creating maintenance issues. Basic emergency social services are in place, including hospitals at regional and local level. However, the system is decentralized at the entity level, and capacities differ across regions. Twelve regional hospitals are in good condition and staffed with trained medical responders, but municipality hospitals face many issues related to with equipment and personnel not trained according to accepted standards. A nationwide triage system to identify priority patients is in place. Ambulances or other medical vehicles for evacuation and transportation of casualties are available, but to grow capacity, additional ambulances and medical equipment are recommended. Emergency operations can be supported by military medical units (one field hospital), four military helicopters, and five helicopters designated for the Ministry of Health and Social Protection. At the regional level the Ministry of Health and Social Protection shares responsibility for disease prevention and core services with the municipalities and local health care units. Clean water supply resources during and after emergencies are not available in the EP&R system. Emergency outbreak surveillance and public awareness materials on emerging diseases or outbreaks post-emergency are absent. Guidelines for management of larger-scale mortality during emergencies are also not in place. There is no common radio communication system in use by emergency first responders. Only the radios of the State Police and military can be used in case of emergencies. Broadband network connectivity is available to EOCs; coverage across the country up to the fourth generation of broadband cellular network technology (4G) is generally good. Backup broadband connectivity (satellite or multi-carrier) is not available for EOCs or command posts. Regular equipment maintenance is not carried out, and there is no budget program for upgrading emergency and disaster response. Communication infrastructure is identified as critical infrastructure; thus public and private communication systems are prepared for disaster response. No backup systems (satellite, point-to-point backhaul wireless, etc.) are available for use as alternative means of communication. The R2R diagnostic confirmed that limited wildland firefighting capabilities are in place. Albania has only basic capabilities, equipment, and personnel to contain localized wildland fires. There are many needs for wildland firefighting, including 4x4 vehicles and equipment like thermal cameras to identify and assess fires. Both the amount and condition of advanced equipment for flood and water rescue—including personal protective equipment, boats, and water vessels—are insufficient for flooding and/or coastal emergencies. The lack of budget for ongoing training and management development hinders the introduction of new technologies and relevant equipment. Hazardous material (hazmat) capacities are mainly available in the armed forces. Due to the rising number of hazmat-related accidents on highways, the firefighters of Tirana have started to develop hazmat capacities. A large investment gap was identified for renewal/exchange/purchase of firefighting vehicles with the appropriate equipment to fulfill new challenges (multistory houses, hazmat events, etc.). Rescue tools and personnel for vehicle extraction, protective personal equipment, medical resources, and adequate budget and training resources are likewise lacking. Some municipal fire rescue teams lack complete sets of equipment for search and rescue and for extractions of victims. Capabilities in rope rescue, including rappelling and abseiling, are partially covered by the mountain rescue service, which also has capacity and equipment for low, steep, and high angle rescue, including from remote areas. Both equipment and training of teams are needed for cave rescue. Overall, a structural budget to maintain and replace equipment and to conduct ongoing training is recommended. 24 | Emergency Preparedness and Response Assessment 4 Key Investment Opportunities RECOMMENDATION 1 Invest in local health stations, clean water supply, and information guides Investment is needed to strengthen municipal health stations or hospitals, which face challenging building conditions and a lack of equipment. Capacities for the distribution of clean water after disasters is also in urgent need of strengthening. Material and guidelines for emerging diseases or outbreaks post-emergency should be established, along with guidelines for management of large-scale mortality during emergencies. RECOMMENDATION 2 Invest in a joint radio communication system for emergencies Currently only the military and police in Albania have adequate radio equipment, but first responders need an interoperable radio communication system. This should be a digital one like the TETRA system. The countrywide introduction of TESTA network service would facilitate the use of CECIS in Albania. Backup communication systems should be included in the investments. RECOMMENDATION 3 Strengthen hazard-specific capacities To be better prepared for specific hazards, investments are needed in equipment for forest firefighting, flood and water rescue, USAR, and hazmat response. Investments in specific equipment need to be accompanied by corresponding capacity-building measures. RECOMMENDATION 4 Strengthen urban firefighting and technical rescue One of the biggest gaps in the EP&R system of Albania relates to equipment for urban and technical firefighting and for medical services. Much of the needed equipment is old or missing. Most of the firefighting vehicles are donations and up to 60 years old with maintenance problems. To establish a strong firefighting and rescue system that will cover all realistic disaster scenarios in the country, a significant investment is needed. Jointly with the General Directorate of Fire and Rescue, a plan should be developed to purchase vehicles and equipment and in the longer term grow toward European Union (EU) standards. The same applies for medical first responders, their vehicles, and their equipment. Diagnostic Report – Albania | 25 COMPONENT 5 Personnel Component Overview A highly skilled and experienced workforce is the most valuable resource in any disaster preparedness and response system. To achieve this, there must be a culture of preparedness in which both the public and political entities trust the agencies tasked with ensuring public safety and minimizing economic disruptions. Developing such a culture requires intensive and extensive training of those involved in EP&R so that they acquire the necessary knowledge, skills, and practical experience. Training of personnel must take advantage of the best available plans, information, facilities, and equipment to ensure an interoperable systems approach is broadly understood. It must also enable deep capability in focused areas of expertise to ensure that personnel development spreads upward, from the individual to the team, and from the team to the agency. Figure ➐ Scoring for Personnel 5 4 3 2 3.50 3.25 1 1.25 1.25 0 Incident Training Exercises International organization and knowledge and drills support structures building coordination Source: R2R assessment findings. Note: Scale is from 0 (absent) to 5 (fully in place). 26 | Emergency Preparedness and Response Assessment Component Conclusions An incident command structure is not in place. In general, the NCPA is significantly understaffed (60 staff instead of the 106 recommended by the order of the prime minister15) and needs extensive support to fulfill its responsibility to implement the new law, policies, and procedures. In all cases when a national disaster situation is not declared, the operational actions are carried out in accordance with the so-called civil protection manual, which should have been approved by the Council of Ministers but in reality was never prepared or endorsed. In the meantime, the operational forces have guidelines and procedures in place for operational tasks like fire rescue. There is no roster of trained personnel and no database of common response resources. The different organizations do have individual rosters and databases, but these are not linked between different institutions. Training in CP, including firefighting, first aid, etc., occurs in some organizations such as the Albanian Red Cross, army, police, and firefighters and includes awareness campaigns. However, such trainings are limited and nonprogrammatic. Overall Albania’s EP&R capacities are lacking in terms of training; there are concrete needs to build the capacity of personnel, especially local first responders and certified trainers. The NCPA is required to have a nationwide training program, but it has not pursued this obligation since it is being restructured. Although the army, police, and fire rescue services have their own training programs, the absence of adequate training facilities makes operational training challenging, and no coherent overall training program exists. Training should be in accordance with UCPM standards to offer a standardized level of knowledge and enhance interoperability. The absence of a national training center in country and the dependency on external trainers is a huge problem in Albania. Efforts are needed to ensure that the training program becomes robust and sustainable, focused on country needs, and conducted mainly by own certified trainers. Training materials, including reference materials, are lacking for civil emergencies. There is currently no national training or exercise program and no formal assessment program. Both should be implemented to prepare citizens for possible future emergency impacts and to enhance resilience. After a basic training, no further actions are taken, but training progress should be documented and followed. Funding of interagency trainings or exercises with multiple actors is limited and insufficient. The number of exercises in Albania that involve organizations from the private sector (like banks and other critical infrastructure) is insufficient. Drill and evaluation criteria are developed with input from participating agencies and response partners, but improvement plans are not developed and improvements are not monitored, though both steps would benefit participating organizations. Exercises and drills are low in number because of limited resources but designed and delivered within a budget identified before planning starts, with sufficient time for planning and implementation. The authority responsible for coordinating host nation support in cases of natural disaster declaration is IMCCE; when no disaster is declared it is NCPA. Some NCPA personnel have experience with and training in requesting and coordinating international assistance, but institutional capacity is limited by the lack of experience and capacity of some staff. Processes and internal resources have been established to track and evaluate the quality of international support to ensure that it meets minimum standards. In larger international assistance scenarios, the structures, bureaucracy, and outdated guidelines make channeling assistance a challenge. The November 2019 earthquake showed that both coordination of international assistance and host nation support need to be streamlined and improved. The State Reserve proved unable to distribute relief in an organized, timely manner to those in need. But there are no private sector agreements in place for short- and long-term storage or distribution of disaster aid resources. In case of extraordinary circumstances, private entities are to be involved in specific tasks, based on their preparation, skills, and need, to help overcome the state of disaster. Compensation in such cases is provided by the state budget, the civil emergency program, and various donations. For distribution of aid in unreachable or remote disaster-affected areas, there are no plans and procedures in place within prefectural or municipal civil emergency plans. Prime Minister Order No. 27, February 27, 2020. 15 Diagnostic Report – Albania | 27 5 Key Investment Opportunities RECOMMENDATION 1 Strengthen staffing of NCPA in Albania One of the most urgent needs for Albanian CP is staffing of NCPA. Currently it is understaffed and not able to implement Law No. 45/2019 appropriately. The adaptation of necessary bylaws is also urgently needed. The National Civil Emergency Plan of 2004 should be revisited to fully embody and account for the new law and structures. Subcontracting of experts could support NCPA until it is fully staffed. The NEOC is also not yet fully staffed and is in need of capacity development. RECOMMENDATION 2 Strengthen training and knowledge building Training is one of the most important preparedness measures, but Albania lacks a programmatic approach to training. Capacity building of personnel, especially local first responders, firefighters, and certified trainers, is key. Training should be designed in accordance with UCPM standards. To lower the dependency on external training staff, a pool of certified trainers should be created. Necessary training materials, including reference materials for civil emergency response, need to be developed. As a first step in strengthening training, a train-the-trainers program should be conducted in Albania with external instructors. RECOMMENDATION 3 Strengthen cooperation between albanian cp forces and neighboring countries with exercises Joint trainings and exercises should be conducted with neighboring countries to enable information exchange (as specified by each one’s mandate), provide professional support, and foster some level of interoperability. Emergencies in recent years have shown countries’ political willingness to support each other in the Balkans. Previous exercises by the NATO Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC) and the EU Directorate General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO) have laid an important groundwork that should be built upon. RECOMMENDATION 4 Strengthen international support coordination After a major disaster occurs and Albania requests assistance from the international community, it is necessary to have procedures in place to ensure timely, effective, and professional reception of assistance. Accurate, well-informed, and practiced plans for host nation support, as well as for coordination of international assistance, need to be developed. Trained personnel with experience in this area are essential for achieving this end. Investment in special training in host nation support is needed, and all relevant documents and planned steps must be prepared. An analysis of the 2019 earthquake response should be carried out, and the lessons should inform a capacity development project. 28 | Emergency Preparedness and Response Assessment Annex 1 Full Diagnostic Report Component ➊ Legal and Institutional Accountability Criterion 1.1: Legislated Accountability Indicator 1.1.1: Emergency Management Legislation Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: For an emergency preparedness and response system to function well at any government scale, and especially across scales, emergency management legislation and related policy instruments must exist. These instruments must clearly assign accountabilities to specific government departments and ministries to ensure public safety service delivery and resilience. The results of the diagnostic indicate that the developments over recent years have contributed to a stronger civil protection (CP) system in Albania. Albania addresses natural disasters in Articles 170 and 174 of the Albanian Constitution. It also addresses disasters in the National Civil Emergency Plan of 2004, which clearly lays out roles and responsibilities for the state and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Pursuant to the frame Law No. 45/2019, entity laws need to be harmonized; this effort is ongoing. In some areas older bylaws are still in effect. The process of adaptation has begun but was slowed down by the advent of COVID-19. The Ministry of Defense structure was modified to include the General Directorate of Civil Emergency following Order No. 47 from the prime minister on March 9, 2018. Indicator 1.1.2: Appropriate Delegations of Authority Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: During disasters and emergencies, decisions must be made more quickly and often by those directly involved in managing or setting priorities for response operations. Clarity about decision-making processes, and about the ability of officials to make decisions that would typically be made at a higher government level, is vital to timely and effective disaster and emergency response. CP is decentralized at three levels: national, prefectural, and municipal. During the territorial reform process of 2015 (Law No. 115/2014), the number of municipalities was reduced from 65 to 61, and the responsibility to coordinate operational response in the event of larger-scale incidents and disasters was given to the municipalities. The prefects and mayors, previously responsible for planning and handling civil emergencies, are now responsible for disaster risk reduction (DRR) and CP at regional (qark) and municipality level, respectively. Under their chairmanship, the Civil Emergency Commissions are respectively established, with the main task of coordinating all activities of the local self-government units and voluntary organizations involved in DRR and CP. In each of the 12 districts, a Civil Emergency Office is in charge of planning and coordinating the emergency response. Delegation of authority is clearly defined in the Decision of the Council of Ministers No. 965, December 2, 2015, and Law No. 45/2019. If a natural disaster is declared, an Inter-Ministerial Committee of Civil Emergency (IMCCE) is established, and Heads of Operations are nominated at the central, prefectural/regional, and municipal levels. There is generally no incident command structure in place when a natural disaster is declared; an incident command structure is put in place only after a ministerial level order and only for firefighting operational procedures. The Head of Operations at the central level is in charge of requesting extra-jurisdictional disaster response support and, if required, directs the resources of lower-tier jurisdictions during formally declared states of natural disaster. In each of the ministries, a Civil Emergency Commission is permanently responsible for emergency preparedness and response. The organization of Albania’s civil protection system is shown in figure A1.1. Diagnostic Report – Albania | 29 Figure A1.1 Albanian Civil Protection System ALBANIAN CIVIL PROTECTION SYSTEM COUNCIL OF MINISTERS MINISTRIES CIVIL PROTECTION MONITORING COMMITTEE/IMCCE INSTITUTIONS CENTRAL INSTITUTIONS MINISTRY OF NGOs AND INTERNATIONAL DEFENSE ORGANIZATIONS (UN, EU, WB, IFRC, etc.) CENTRAL NATIONAL CIVIL LEVEL PROTECTION AGENCY TECHNICAL ADVISORY (NCPA) COMMISSION NATIONAL EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER (NEOC) PREFECT TERRITORIAL BRANCHES OF MINISTRIES/SUBORDINATE QARK QARK CIVIL INSTITUTIONS LEVEL PROTECTION COMMISSION MAYOR MUNICIPAL CIVIL ADMINISTRATIVE MUNICIPALITY LOCAL PROTECTION CIVIL PROTECTION COMMISSION UNITS LEVEL STRUCTURES VILLAGES Indicator 1.1.3: Agency-Specific Operational Response Plans Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: An operational response plan ensures that government departments with specific accountabilities for ensuring public safety will be able to fulfill those roles despite organizational challenges such as personnel turnover. It also ensures limited overlap with other government departments and, through testing the plan, enables others to become familiar with how each department will fulfill its obligations. According to Article 22 of Law No. 45/2019, ministries and central institutions have the duty of “drafting, approving and updating the civil emergency plan, according to the area of state responsibility, and submitting it to the National Civil Protection Agency for analysis and planning purposes.” The desk research found that municipalities are legally responsible for preparing such emergency plans; but in most municipalities such plans do not exist. The assessment could not confirm whether the few existing emergency plans are of good quality and up to date. Municipalities need guidance, hands-on assistance, and knowledge building to draft emergency plans. 30 | Emergency Preparedness and Response Assessment At prefecture level, emergency plans do exist. At central level, emergency plans and strategic development plans are in place, but they are obsolete. It was observed that organizations are unaware that important partner organizations have operational response plans. Some response plans reportedly don’t sufficiently consider interagency coordination and cooperation. Indicator 1.1.4: Critical Infrastructure Assurance Program Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Critical infrastructure is the structural backbone of any jurisdiction. It is the core physical presence of any government, without which essential government and private services could not be provided. Typically, a significant percentage of critical infrastructure is privately owned and operated. Whether public or private, this infrastructure is of vital economic and public safety importance, so a well-developed critical infrastructure assurance program should be established across the jurisdiction. According to Article 44 of Law No. 45/2019, based on their area of responsibility, ministries should identify critical infrastructure with a cross-border effect and inform the National Civil Protection Agency (NCPA) and the relevant entity about its categorization as such. There is however no list that contains all the structures that are formally recognized as critical infrastructure. According to Article 43 of Law No. 45/2019, there is an obligation to prepare and update the disaster risk assessment document, as well as civil emergency plans/critical infrastructure assurance plans. Plans have been developed by the International Airport of Tirana, Trans Adriatic Pipeline, hydropower stations (Fierza, Koman, and Vau i Dejes in the Drini River), and the marine port and main seaport in Durrës; but other entities are missing plans. Article 13 of Law No. 45/2019 states that any entity must obtain risk certification before being issued development permits by competent authorities. An inspection should be conducted by the NCPA and by the Fire and Rescue Service to prevent critical infrastructure from locating in disaster-prone areas, and to ensure that exceptions are built or retrofitted with maximum resilience and operate so as to increase jurisdictional resilience. So far only the Fire and Rescue Service conducts inspections. Data on critical infrastructure are not stored by the established NCPA but only at central level. Early warning information on hydropower stations is available. Criterion 1.2: Financial Preparedness  Indicator 1.2.1: Appropriate Financial Instruments Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: The government’s central role in natural disaster emergency response and recovery involves a large financial burden, which varies based on the government’s definition of contingent liabilities related to natural disasters. Contingent liabilities refer to the spending obligations arising from past events that will be incurred in the future if uncertain discrete future events occur. Ex ante disaster funds provide the government with a predefined amount in readily available resources to be used in the aftermath of a natural disaster. Ex ante funding includes the financial allocations, budget contingencies, emergency reserve funding mechanisms, and insurance instruments that exist to support effective preparedness, response, and early recovery. To properly plan the necessary funds for emergency preparedness, a strategic document (National Strategy on DRR) must be in place (Article 10 of Law No. 45/2019). So far, a risk management strategy that clarifies contingent liabilities, outlines short-term financing following disasters, and ensures long-term reconstruction financing is not in place. A multipurpose reserve fund of the Council of Ministers exists, so the prime minister has budget available for contingent liabilities following natural disasters. There are no contingency credit arrangements in place. According to Article 65 of Law No. 45/2019,16 municipalities should have at least 4 percent of their budget reserved for DRR and CP response, but these contingency funds are not fully in place. Most municipalities eventually rely on central government budgets in case of an emergency. For recovery at municipal level, partial planning is available. According to Article 22 of Law No. 45/2019, ministries and central institutions need to plan an annual budget for DRR Under this law, municipalities rely on a minimum forecast of 4 percent of their total annual budget, provided by the conditional funds of the 16 state budget to ensure disaster risk reduction and civil protection, in addition to performing other duties. Diagnostic Report – Albania | 31 and CP, according to the scope of their state responsibility. For ministries responsible for CP, defense, internal affairs, transport, infrastructure, agriculture, health, energy, education, environment, and culture, budget planning should be between 2 and 4 percent of the total annual budget. However, compliance is not universal, and only some ministries have this provision in place. The risk exposure in insurance is traditionally transferred through reinsurance, generally to foreign reinsurers. Exposures exceeding 10 percent of a company’s capital adequacy are reinsured and/or coinsured in accordance with Law No. 52 (of May 22, 2014), On the Activity of Insurance and Reinsurance, specifically Articles 115–119. Reinsurance companies are selected based on criteria specified in Regulation No. 85/1 (of September 30, 2015), On Reinsurance Criteria. Existing insurance contracts show that there are parametric specifications, such as a scale for magnitude in case of earthquakes, where damages caused by earthquakes of a lesser magnitude are not covered, and all risks are reinsured based on a company’s needs. Under existing reinsurance contracts, in case of a catastrophe reinsurers would provide insurance companies with extended contingent credit to cover claims up front. Indicator 1.2.2: Emergency Procurement Systems and Frameworks Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Within disaster relief logistics, procurement accounts for a substantial percentage of total expenditures. Good procurement practices are essential for efficient, effective, transparent, and accountable governance and project management in emergency disaster response. Proactive procurement forecasting identifies the goods and services required for effective disaster response by stockpiling and forming vendor partnerships to ensure rapid distribution in emergency situations. Decentralized, fast-track-response procurement procedures incorporate more flexibility and invoke other mechanisms (such as prequalification processes) to minimize serious supply delays, reduce costs, and speed up delivery times. Simplified procedures for expedited procurement are in place. Contingency planning is ensured through a memorandum of understanding that outlines coordination in emergency situations between the state, businesses, and NGOs like the Albanian Red Cross. Faster emergency interventions are facilitated by legal frameworks like Normative Act No. 9 of the Council of Ministers, On Coping with the Consequences of the Natural Disaster (dated December 16, 2019). A reconstruction fund exists to allocate and disburse resources for post-disaster activities efficiently and transparently across all levels of government. An electronic procurement system is in place. Indicator 1.2.3: Public Financial Management Policies and Procedures Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Effective financial management policy outlines and provides guidance on the processes involved in managing response costs during the activation of the emergency response structure and protocols. It outlines those responsible for managing response expenditures for costs incurred during response and recovery as well as the relevant expense authorities and applicable thresholds. Financial management procedures outline the scope, steps, and responsibilities for financial tracking of all eligible and approved emergency response costs, authorizations of those expenditures, and processing of invoices. Albania has administrative and legal frameworks for declaring a state of natural disaster according to the Constitution and for post-disaster budget appropriation. A natural disaster situation is declared according to specifications in Article 39 of Law No. 45/2019. According to Article 19, the IMCCE decides on the allocation of funds for natural disaster recovery. Funds for smaller-scale disasters are difficult to obtain. Normative Act No. 9, dated December 16, 2019, establishes a mechanism for the effective allocation and disbursement of reconstruction funds across all levels of government. Tracking and reporting of emergency response costs, authorizations, and processing is done at all levels, as well as by the State Supreme Audit. Financial decision-making tools or fiscal forecasts incorporating disaster scenarios are not available to assess the costs and benefits of disaster financing options. 32 | Emergency Preparedness and Response Assessment Indicator 1.2.4: Personal Financial Risk Transfer Programs Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: An established personal insurance market that is affordable and available in high- risk areas can significantly reduce the financial burden on individuals, families, and governments in the wake of disasters and emergencies. In combination with other government risk-transfer mechanisms, a robust personal insurance market can significantly reduce government contingent liability while also improving personal accountability and preparedness of individuals and families. Budget provisions and instruments are in place (i.e., the emergency budget of the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Finance and Economy, local governments’ budgets, reallocated budgets of line ministries, and the reserve funds of the Council of Ministers) for common hazards (earthquakes, floods, landslides, forest fires, etc.). Insurance companies do offer products, but these are often not affordable for the public, especially low-income households and small-scale farmers. The government of Albania is working on a draft of a new law, On Compulsory Insurance against Earthquakes and Floods. Information on public asset insurance—such as insurance of critical infrastructure, schools, hospitals, and government administration buildings—is not registered centrally, and therefore an overview is not available. Diagnostic Report – Albania | 33 Component ➋ Information  Criterion 2.1: Community Engagement  Indicator 2.1.1: Program for Local Level Volunteer Emergency Responders  Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Local responders are the first to act. However, if no systems are in place to engage with local volunteers in advance of an emergency, managing disaster response becomes more difficult. It is helpful to engage with volunteer responders early to maximize response effectiveness, significantly reduce response times, and encourage individual accountability for personal and family preparedness. Though volunteerism exists within current community practices, volunteer emergency responders do not have a strong enough presence in the R2R system in Albania. The legal framework entrusts mayors with the establishment of permanent trained and equipped volunteer firefighting teams in their jurisdictions; however, only two such teams have actually been established to date, in the municipalities of Tirana and Kavaja (with Austrian support). Tirana has 200 active volunteers who are engaged in community support year-round, through programs operated by the firefighting service of Tirana. Community engagement includes dispensing medicine and food to the elderly as well as informing communities regarding risks in their area. The Albanian Fire and Rescue Service does engage civilian volunteers in response activities during large-scale emergencies, though on an ad hoc basis. Without a long-term, nationwide strategy for upholding or maintaining a system of first response that informs and supports the professional firefighting mechanism in an emergency, the volunteer firefighting system cannot be effective enough. The Albanian Red Cross takes center stage in community engagement–related matters. The Red Cross volunteers are active throughout the country and begin their volunteer work after undergoing three training courses (general Red Cross principles; youth training; and specialized trainings for designated fields). Red Cross volunteers are then sent to communities to train populations in the content that corresponds with the local risks. Trainings reach 75 percent of the population. The police forces does not have training programs in place, but there are open channels for the exchange of information regarding potential and possible risks, and all levels of the police force are in good communication with the communities they serve regarding potential risks. The Ministry of Health has limited involvement in community engagement through a public health DRR discussion platform, which includes the participation of the World Health Organization and the NCPA. Indicator 2.1.2: Program for Community Education Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Addressing preparedness and response at the local level can raise awareness of specific threats and help communities to prepare and engage in problem solving prior to and during a disaster. Further, these programs ensure communities know what local action to take when warnings are issued and thus reduce pressure on response services during widespread and/or more intensive disasters and emergencies. Conducting civil protection trainings for state structures, private entities, and volunteers is the responsibility of the National Civil Protection Agency. Municipalities are responsible for organizing training activities in the domain of civil protection for employees and residents in their territory. Local emergency preparedness and response education programs are not in place, but ad hoc projects are executed in some areas like Tirana and Kavaja. These initiatives are not centrally funded or part of a central strategy for education. Some programs exist within the Red Cross; these focus on the main threats in Albania. Ad hoc trainings at schools and kindergartens happen locally and upon the initiative of firefighters. The sporadic nature of local training by professionals is also evident in the areas of health and insurance, where several international organizations have participated; World Vision (training in schools) and Caritas are two prominent examples. 34 | Emergency Preparedness and Response Assessment Indicator 2.1.3: Program to Support Small-Scale, Community-Led Mitigation Works Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Mitigation of risk at the local level with support from the community helps raise overall risk awareness while reducing the effects of a disaster and promoting rapid recovery following an event. Examples might include retrofitting irrigation equipment for secondary use in wildland fire suppression, local riverbank stabilization, etc. Programs to support small-scale community-led mitigation works are not present in Albania. The Ministry of Defense has a civil emergency financial program, part of which is dedicated to structural measures for prevention and response. After a selection process, program funds are transferred to municipalities, which handle all tender, supervisory, and handover procedures. In 2019, for the first time, the Ministry of Defense itself invested additional funds in CP—lek 400 million for rehabilitation of flood protection infrastructure—and was responsible for tendering, supervision, and handover.” Indicator 2.1.4: Education and Tools for Local Leaders Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Local leaders, elders, and community groups have an important role to play in overall disaster risk reduction. Engaging and training the community leadership in proactive risk management can improve the overall effectiveness of the emergency management program in all phases, ensuring integration with all levels of government and establishing a local culture of preparedness. Under Law No. 45/2019, municipalities are responsible for organizing training activities in the domain of civil protection for employees and residents in their territory; but there are no such initiatives in place besides activities of the Red Cross. Criterion 2.2: Early Warning Systems  Indicator 2.2.1: Functioning Monitoring/Surveillance Program  Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Monitoring and surveillance mechanisms and the ability to disseminate the information they generate are the foundation of an effective early warning system. Ideally, there should be an existing system that allows for the prediction and forecasting of potential hazards, grounded in sound science and technology. This system should be able to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Ongoing and frequent monitoring and surveillance of hazards increases the likelihood of accurate and timely warnings. Since there are multiple hazards, there should be a certain level of coordination across sectors/ministries in order to understand and possibly leverage existing monitoring and surveillance systems. The institutions responsible for monitoring hazards are the Institute of Geosciences, Energy, Water and Environment (IGEWE), the Institute of Public Health, the Albanian Geological Survey, the Institute of Food Safety, the Veterinary, and the Institute of Nuclear Physics. Preliminary flood risk assessment is not fully developed in Albania, but there are some ongoing activities and projects. Specifically, data on floods and their associated losses are systematically collected by the General Directorate of Civil Emergency using the DesInventar methodology and tools.17 In 2012, flood-prone areas of the lower Buna and Drini Rivers were mapped as part of the post-disaster flood risk assessment and management study supported by the General Directorate of Civil Emergency and the World Bank. Since 2014, Albania has had a database of historical disaster losses where data can be downloaded.18 See the DesInventar website at https:/ 17 /www.desinventar.net/. UNDRR, “DesInventar Sendai,” http:/ 18 /www.desinventar.net/DesInventar/profiletab.jsp?countrycode=alb. Diagnostic Report – Albania | 35 The hazard and risk mapping in Albania is being strengthened by several projects: ● PRO NEWS (Programme for Improving National Early Warning System and flood prevention in Albania (http:/ / www.pronewsprogramme.eu/). This program supports the development of a flood hazard map following the EU Floods Directive; more specifically, it provides training and technical assistance for the preparation and use of detailed flood hazard maps. It also supports the development of a national flood forecasting and warning system and its integration into the European Flood Awareness System (EFAS) by modernizing the meteorological infrastructures, improving the IT network, and developing an operational hydrological model for the entire country, including transnational river basins, for use in early warning. ● German Agency for International (GIZ) project Climate Change Adaptation in Transboundary Flood Risk Management for the Western Balkans (CCAW). This project currently supports flood risk assessment. It focuses on the Drin River basin and supports institutions at national and local levels in Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, and North Macedonia. CCAWB1 supported regional flood warning systems (lower Drin), national climate change adaptation strategies, flood prevention and protection measures at local level, water use regulation in drought- prone areas, and Western Balkan transboundary water resources management. In CCAWB2, project indicators are periodic development of flood forecasts for the Drin River basin, a catalog of measures for cross-border flood risk management, and increase in knowledge of residents of flood-affected areas by 20 percent. ● South-East European Multi-Hazard Early Warning Advisory System (SEE-MHEWS-A). This project was initiated in 2016 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) for National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) in the region that are WMO members (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Turkey, and Ukraine). The project aims to develop a regional multi-hazard early warning advisory system consisting of information and tools for forecasters at NMHSs and harmonized national early warning systems. One of the tools will be a single virtual platform to collect existing information; there will also be products and tools for providing accurate forecasts and warnings to support hazard-related decision-making by national authorities. The SEE-MHEWS-A project will facilitate access to multiple high-resolution numerical weather models for IGEWE, potentially negating the need for full membership in the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). ● Increasing Resilience through Earth Observation (IncREO). This project has produced the first hazard and risk maps for Shkodra and Lezha. For these maps, the Shkodra flood of 2010 was used as the base scenario. All maps are implemented inside the DEWETRA platform, the national platform of the early warning system in Albania. ● DEWETRA. This real-time integrated system for risk forecasting, monitoring, and prevention was designed by the CIMA Research Foundation on behalf of Italian Civil Protection and was donated to Albania. GIZ utilized the maps produced through IncREO to advise local authorities on building resilience. Risk and hazard maps produced by the GIZ project are made available to the public.19 Through an ongoing project, the Albanian Power Corporation (KESH) is also producing risk maps. The dam agency has its own methodology for making flood hazard and risk maps for the Drin cascade. The risk maps of the Shkodra and Lezha regions include information on the exposure of residential buildings, schools, pharmacies, hospitals, police stations, bridges, etc. There is a functional monitoring system on the ground, and a satellite monitoring system is in place; but improvements are needed in maintenance of the warning and monitoring stations, especially the hydrometrical stations, and knowledge capacity should also be built. Indicator 2.2.2: Sound Data Analysis Program Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: The analysis of data gathered by monitoring and surveillance systems is crucial to any early warning system. The data gathered should be analyzed using scientifically and technologically sound methodologies to ensure that the information being disseminated is accurate, useful, and timely. See the website of the Shkodra Council at http:/ 19 /www.qarkushkoder.gov.al. 36 | Emergency Preparedness and Response Assessment There are programs and modeling procedures in place for weather, hydrometeorological, and seismic risks. IGEWE staff receives some training from WMO, EFAS, and the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) as well as through the IPA programs. Monitoring and surveillance centers are not properly equipped for data analysis, however, and a backup system is not always in place. Crowdsourced data are not incorporated in analysis during response activities. Indicator 2.2.3: Real-Time Warning Messages Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Functional early warning systems deliver clear, simple messages containing useful information to affected or at-risk populations. This information empowers individuals and communities to take action and adopt protective behaviors that save lives. Messages need to be straightforward and action oriented. They should be consistent across multiple media platforms and message delivery systems. Currently Albania does not have a reliable warning messaging system. The alarm signal for early warning of the population is old and mostly dysfunctional. The NCPA, prefects, and mayors have procedures in place for issuing public warnings (under Article 50 of Law No. 45/2019). Indicator 2.2.4: Functional Warning Message Distribution Systems Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Critical early warnings based on sound analysis and high-quality data are effective only if delivered rapidly to the population at risk. To be effective in reaching the target population, warning messages must be delivered near simultaneously across multiple media platforms, such as television, radio, social media, and mobile phone text message. By ensuring “last mile” connection for early warnings, at-risk populations are able to take lifesaving actions within the community to reduce the consequences of disasters and emergencies. Currently, early warning messages are sent to the population using radio and television, entities with which the different organizations have good working relations. Church bells, mosque sound systems, and Facebook are also used as warning channels to inform the population. The sirens installed during the Communist period are dysfunctional. Institutions issue daily bulletins of the base weather stations and weather forecasters, and they actively cooperate with institutions like the World Meteorological Organization. But it is still common practice for warning messages to be passed from central level to the mayor or head of villages, then to neighbors and individuals. In each ministry, there is a functional public relations and communication structure in place. Media are obliged to interrupt programs in case of an emergency, as needed. NCPA and the Authority of Electronic and Postal Communications are the key players in such situations. A multimodal warning system from government to at-risk populations has not been implemented. Criterion 2.3: Information Management Systems Indicator 2.3.1: Functional Information Management System  Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: The use of a common Disaster Management Information System (DMIS) by all emergency management personnel improves overall situational awareness, decision-making, and response coordination. A system based on commercial off the-shelf (COTS) software that is interoperable with common systems in use by international agencies can improve overall response and increase training opportunities for personnel across agencies. There is no common Disaster Management Information System (DMIS) based on a common platform in place that is used by the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) and the prefectural and municipality centers. Indicator 2.3.2: Budget Allocations for Information Systems Diagnostic Report – Albania | 37 Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: A functional DMIS fills a crucial role in supporting situational awareness and organizing information prior to and during a disaster. It is important to ensure that the system is maintained, updated, and upgraded as necessary so that it functions appropriately and valid information is available when required. Currently, there is no program planned to integrate the existing information databases into one system and to maintain, update, and upgrade it as necessary. Indicator 2.3.3: Integration of GIS-Generated Data in DMIS Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: The availability of geolocated information within the DMIS provides superior situational awareness for planning, mitigation, response, and recovery efforts. Real-time updates of GIS data, often by mobile and wireless device users, provide current data for disaster and emergency response and recovery planning. There exists no common DMIS with geolocated information. Indicator 2.3.4: Integration of Early Warning Data in DMIS Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Early warning systems provide data that are crucial for analyzing the potential impact of an incident. The integration of early warning system data with the DMIS enhances situational awareness and allows for the dissemination of a comprehensive common operating picture for all responding agencies There is no DMIS in place in Albania. Criterion 2.4: Geomatics  Indicator 2.4.1: GIS Capacity  Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: GIS can be a powerful tool for planning, preparedness, response, and recovery by organizing and making available information on hazards, vulnerabilities, and resources for emergencies. GIS can also be a powerful tool in promoting public risk reduction by helping populations better understand current risks. GIS is used by the Albanian Authority for Geospatial Information (ASIG) which, was established in 2013 under Law No. 72/2012, On the Organization and Functioning of the National Infrastructure of Geospatial Information in the Republic of Albania. ASIG is in charge of the Emergency Regional Risk Atlas (ERRA) and provides a public geoportal with 216 different layers.20 The NEOC so far does not use GIS, but GIS is used by the Joint Operational Center in the Ministry of Defense, the State Police, and the National Urgency Medical Center as well as all ministries. For response services, GIS information is not available. Indicator 2.4.2: Georeferenced Data Layers  Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Interoperable GIS improves situational awareness and response efficiency, and can prevent further damage or loss of life. Responding agencies and emergency management personnel should have interoperable systems based on common baseline data layers. This foundation significantly contributes to the common operating picture and efficient information flow between responders and integrated command agencies. ASIG has different data layers, but not on risk hazards or specific data to cater to the needs of emergency management. At this time, the set of georeferenced data is very limited for emergency response. There is no specific bylaw or policy for data protection. 38 | Emergency Preparedness and Response Assessment Indicator 2.4.3: Standards for Georeferenced Data Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Ensuring that data conform to a standard lowers overall operating costs for the GIS while ensuring the data quality is maintained. This enables faster processing and interpretation of the data and increases confidence in the models and outputs from the system. These efficiencies lead to more rapid and informed response operations with higher confidence in decisions. The European Union (EU) INSPIRE Directive for spatial planning data has been adopted by ASIG. But as municipalities and prefectures are lacking GIS devices and software, GIS cannot be applied in emergencies at these levels of government. Indicator 2.4.4: Standardized and Periodic Process for Updating Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: GIS data must be current and reliable in order to have value for emergency management activities. A system that regularly updates the information ensures that the information is always useful. It also improves situational awareness for focusing preparedness activities by increasing understanding and transparency about how hazardous areas, community vulnerability, etc., are established. There is no policy or procedure in place for updating GIS data. Diagnostic Report – Albania | 39 Component ➌ Facilities  Criterion 3.1: Emergency Operations Centers Indicator 3.1.1: Available Emergency Operations Centers  Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: An Emergency Operations Center (EOC) must be supported by sufficient backup systems, including power, heating and cooling, communications, staff, and operational resources (such as security, break rooms, planning/meeting rooms, media center, etc.). Ideally, an EOC would have a backup facility that is at a geographically distant and safe location and fully capable of operation in the event the primary EOC is not available. At this moment, there are several separate Emergency Operation Centers at central level that function 24/7: the NEOC of the General Directorate and EOCs of the police, army, firefighters in Tirana, and National Medical Urgency Center. The NEOC and the EOCs at the prefectural and municipal levels do not fulfill the minimum operational conditions. A backup system is missing; equipment and a properly trained staff are lacking; and operational coordination between EOCs is insufficient. Overall there is a lack of capacity to support the various EOCs’ functioning. The operational budget is insufficient for basic maintenance and for sustaining services, and operational costs are partially covered through donations as part of international and regional development projects. In the absence of a DMIS, the facilities lack relevant statistical data to support situational awareness and decision-making during response and early recovery. The EOCs’ equipment and (GIS) information systems should be made interoperable. Indicator 3.1.2: Mobile Command Post Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Mobile command post facilities typically include space for incident management activities in a controlled environment (secure, sheltered, etc.). The ability to accurately communicate site conditions, resource needs, and other information to the EOC is necessary. This requires reliable backup communication capabilities and the ability to operate in a self-supporting mode for some period, ideally 36 to 72 hours, without resupply. In Albania, the army has three mobile command posts available to CP, and there is one in the municipality of Tirana (provided by the Albania Disaster Risk Mitigation and Adaptation Project, AL-DRMAP). The NCPA lacks such mobile command posts. The mobile command posts that are in place are self-sufficient for up to 72 hours, can carry out information gathering, and are capable of managing multiple agencies during disaster response. Indicator 3.1.3: Clear Lines of Authority Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Policy and authority must be clear for activation of the EOC and for the required staffing, fiscal authority, and operational responsibilities, including the role of elected officials, government staff, NGOs, and other supporting entities. How the EOC will function in relation to other governments (federal, territorial, municipal) and potential foreign disaster agencies or corporations should be spelled out in advance of an emergency. An IMCCE is convened when a natural disaster situation is declared. The activation of the NEOC and EOCs at the qark and municipal levels is clarified in the National Civil Emergency Plan. Indicator 3.1.4: Standardized Process for Social Media and Crowdsourced Data Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: To control the messaging surrounding an incident, it is necessary to know what is being said on social and conventional media and to respond to rumors and incorrect information with an authoritative voice and clear messaging. Collecting, aggregating, and analyzing media can help to identify needs for messaging, and can be valuable tools for analyzing the effectiveness of messaging and overall response. 40 | Emergency Preparedness and Response Assessment Albania has no system or procedure in place to monitor social media and/or crowdsourced data. The country does have communication team members within the EOCs to interact with the media, but NEOC only observes the media news and analyzes it. Staff are not specifically trained in this task, and software to support this task is not available. Criterion 3.2: Training Centers  Indicator 3.2.1: Capacity of Training Centers  Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: A training center will have limited effectiveness unless it has the capacity to meet the needs of the targeted trainees. Dedicated resources for training will meet both general and specific needs of the training audience. Albania does not have a multi-agency national DRR and CP training center at the central level. NCPA did plan to establish a training center but lacks the funding. Establishing a training center was also identified as a priority in the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) after the 2019 earthquake (Government of Albania 2020a). Training is sporadically conducted in the Security Academy, which provides basic firefighting courses. The Red Cross, armed forces, and the State Police have their own training center, which they sometimes rent to CP organizations. The existing training centers are poorly equipped but can accommodate participants in trainings on site. Indicator 3.2.2: Options for Multi-agency Training Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Multi-agency training centers will allow interagency training and will also reduce costs by avoiding the need for training centers for specific disciplines. Beyond responders, the public and volunteers should have access to training centers to promote a bottom-up approach to emergency preparedness and response. The police have trainings for health and medical personnel at their premises. Besides this, no multi-agency training takes place in the centers. Training centers have a regular but basic training schedule and a yearly plan. Indicator 3.2.3: Utilization and Maintenance of Existing Training Centers Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: A strategic plan and operational budget for use of a training site will ensure site optimization; engagement with multiple responder agencies and the private sector should be explored and formalized. Training centers can function effectively as secondary EOCs or regional command posts, if properly designed. The facilities must be maintained to a high standard and equipment kept current with the equipment being used in daily operations by rescue and response services. Training centers are in general modern and clean, and maintenance is in place. Training centers can also function effectively as secondary EOCs or regional command posts, if properly designed and equipped. Indicator 3.2.4: Geography and Location of Training Sites Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Geography and accessibility are key to training the maximum number of agency personnel and public volunteers. Exploring partnerships with academic institutions and ensuring proximity and easy access to transportation will improve usage patterns for training centers, in turn increasing the opportunity for collaborative learning and establishing a culture of preparedness across public, private, nongovernmental, and academic sectors. Training centers are located in easily accessible areas. Some resources for distance learning are available, and training centers are close to academic institutions for potential partnerships in training and research. Diagnostic Report – Albania | 41 Criterion 3.3: Logistics Warehouses and Response Stations  Indicator 3.3.1: Entities and Frameworks for Logistic Hubs and Warehouses  Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Logistics management is often a complex process even during ordinary (non- disaster) periods. Due to this complexity, suitable and sustainable networks should be developed and maintained as part of a disaster preparedness plan. Logistics hub networks, including warehousing storage facilities, should be able to work with the private sector, government, and NGOs to successfully coordinate incoming international aid and distribute it to domestic areas in need. IMCCE is designated as lead agency to coordinate deployment and storage of international and domestic supplies during disasters. When a natural disaster situation is not declared, the Ministry of Defense acts as the lead. The key stakeholders for warehousing in Albania are the State Reserve Directorate (with six warehouses), Ministry of Defense (five warehouses), and Red Cross (six warehouses). The State Reserve Directorate has overall charge of governmental warehouses as well as transport of goods to the warehouses. For transportation, support from the Regional Support Battalion of Albanian Armed Forces and (sometimes) the Red Cross is available on request. A modern communication and record-keeping infrastructure is not in place but is identified as a need to minimize loss and waste of stored items. There are intentions to store all goods in the State Reserve, but the Red Cross will store its equipment and goods separately in its facilities. Tirana International Airport has procedures in place that facilitate fast processing of incoming goods. Donors of relief goods are exempt from paying import taxes. Indicator 3.3.2: Capacities of Logistic Warehouses Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Beyond having a network of logistic hubs for distribution of goods and materials, operations management and the physical structure of logistic warehouses are key to increased resiliency during disasters. Warehouses must have the size, staffing, budget, and equipment to successfully intake, sort, maintain, store, and eventually distribute both perishable and nonperishable items and other equipment. The State Reserve currently has six warehouses with a total capacity of 16,632 m2 throughout the country. The Ministry of Defense owns five warehouses, and in case of an emergency can provide capacity of 555 m³ in total for storage of material. The Red Cross has six warehouses—three inside and three outside of Tirana. In Tirana, 2,000 m² are available for food and nonfood Items. The Red Cross can provide shelter for 10,000 people for three to four months and immediate support for 2,000 families, with food, blankets, and other daily needs. The Red Cross stores and distributes goods and replenishes them with the assistance of donors like United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). All warehouses are located in geographically safe areas. The State Reserve warehouses and their equipment are in need of improvements, according to the PDNA (Government of Albania 2020a). Indicator 3.3.3: Capacities, Resources, and Abilities of Local Response Stations Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Local response services are a critical resource during a disaster and will be some of the first responders deployed. While local response stations are primarily for daily emergencies, a regional network of response stations will also provide a resource for disasters until more specialized aid is deployed. Daily emergencies will not cease during disasters, and ensuring that local response stations can continue to carry out their regular duties is key to building a resilient population. Local response stations include resources such as ambulances or paramedics, firefighters, police, and search and rescue. Firefighting, State Police, and ambulance response stations are in place throughout Albania. These stations are partly equipped and staffed to respond effectively to most daily emergency needs, such as ambulance transport, fighting of structure fires, and rescue appropriate for the jurisdiction. Firefighters in general lack personnel and equipment to respond to larger and more complex incidents. 42 | Emergency Preparedness and Response Assessment Municipalities are responsible for the response stations in their area. Response times are not systematically recorded and are therefore unknown to the authorities, but they are believed not to meet European standards. Indicator 3.3.4: Specialized Hazard Response Stations Criteria Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Hazard-specific response stations may be housed or designated in the same structure as local response stations with dual-trained personnel. However, specialized equipment may be needed to respond to specific disasters or hazards that are typically beyond the capacity of local response stations. Hazard response stations may also be centralized as response situations are less common, but their equipment and trained personnel should reflect local threats and hazards. Local response stations do not typically respond to disasters for prolonged periods, so specialized teams are required. Nuclear and radiological experts are available at the Institute of Nuclear Physics and the Institute of Public Health, respectively. Chemical, bacteriological, and nuclear experts are available within the armed forces as a 25-person team with special equipment. There is a need to develop hazardous material (hazmat) expertise, especially to respond to possible accidents with hazmats along the main highways. The fire stations located in the proximity of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline have access to additional equipment to be prepared for emergencies related to the pipeline. Criterion 3.4: Shelter and Open Spaces  Indicator 3.4.1: Infrastructure for Emergency Housing and Temporary Shelter  Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Temporary shelters and emergency housing are potentially expensive. Preexisting partnerships to use land and provide shelter help defer or lower costs while reducing response time. Temporary housing is not meant to be permanent but should provide the basics of sustainable living, including protection from the elements, security, and a space for mental well-being. Organizing shelter resources during a disaster (rather than before) is not pragmatic and not likely to provide suitable protection to a displaced population. According to the National Civil Emergency Plan, evacuation and sheltering is a local-level responsibility. Usually, the municipalities do not plan for emergency sheltering apart from the incidental sheltering premises. Emergency sheltering tents are stored at the State Reserve, armed forces, and Red Cross, but in extremely limited numbers; and the quality does not meet accepted standards for use during winter. Temporary sheltering is mostly improvised, and most displaced persons are supported by relatives. Indicator 3.4.2: Designated Open Space for Disaster and Management Operations Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Open spaces such as parks, vacant land, and green spaces are a natural convergence point for displaced people. They also may be relatively free of structures or debris after a disaster and hence be suitable locations for disaster-specific operations, such as mobile command posts and resource staging areas. Pre-disaster identification and planned use of open spaces will help save time and manage resource deployment during a disaster. Open spaces are currently not designated for specific use during disaster management operations. Solutions are improvised on a needs basis. Diagnostic Report – Albania | 43 Indicator 3.4.3: Disaster Evacuation Routes Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Designated and safe disaster routes are key for saving lives and evacuating portable economic resources (such as livestock) before or during a disaster. The local population must also know when, where, and how to access evacuation routes through outreach and education. Albania has not established any predefined evacuation routes. Indicator 3.4.4: Safe, Healthy, and Secure Locations for Temporary Shelter Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: While displaced persons may end up in emergency housing for years, the situation should always be viewed as temporary. In the short term, shelter communities often create added risks through overcrowding, crime, poor sanitation, and the absence of services that are well established in permanent communities. The longer the residence in temporary communities, the greater the risk for residents. A realistic timeline for transition to permanent housing should exist; this will also help speed the transition from response to recovery. According to the National Civil Emergency Plan, evacuation and sheltering is local-level responsibility. In the regional and municipal civil emergency plans, sheltering premises have been (partly) defined. Most are dormitories and sports arenas that have basic utilities. As temporary shelter is improvised, safety and health conditions are variable. The armed forces support the setup of the camps, but municipalities are responsible for water distribution and sanitation support. Municipalities have little to no capacity to carry out this responsibility. 44 | Emergency Preparedness and Response Assessment Component ➍ Equipment  Criterion 4.1: Emergency Social Services Indicator 4.1.1: Medical Responders, Prehospital Health Care, and Medical Transportation Resources for Casualty Care  Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Emergency medical care is required during disasters and emergencies. Systems need to be maintained to ensure communication and the tracking and documentation of injuries and patients transported from the field to the hospital (from admittance to discharge). Appropriately equipped responders with medical training or environment-specific first aid are the ideal personnel for transporting patients to higher-level medical facilities or hospitals. The diagnostic confirms that basic emergency social services are in place, including hospitals at regional and local level. Twelve regional hospitals are in good condition (with equipment and trained medical responder staff such as nurses, paramedics, and medical doctors), but municipality hospitals are lacking in proper facilities, and personnel are mostly poorly trained. The diagnostic observed that standardized disaster and environment-specific first aid training is provided by the Red Cross. A medical documentation system and a standardized triage system to identify priority patients are in place. International Health Regulations are said to be followed. Ambulances or other medical vehicles for evacuation and transportation of casualties are available, but to enhance the medical evacuation capacity additional ambulances and medical equipment are needed. Emergency operations can be supported by military medical units (field hospital) and military helicopters (four), as well as five medical helicopters of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection. Indicator 4.1.2: Disease Prevention and Core Services Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: A breakdown in public health and WASH (water, sanitation, hygiene) after disaster and large-scale local emergencies is the largest contributor to disease outbreak. Countries or regions that have underdeveloped public health and WASH services may already have unchecked diseases; in more developed countries, diseases may present themselves only after a disaster or large-scale emergency. A country with adequate WASH resources during non-disaster periods will recover far quicker after a disaster. The Ministry of Health and Social Protection, municipalities, and local health care units at the regional level all share responsibility for disease prevention and core services. Clean water supply as well as sanitation and waste removal services are the responsibility of municipalities and are conducted by municipality enterprises. There are significant gaps in sustainable and continuous clean water supply resources and equipment for emergency deployment. After the 2012 floods in Shkodra, there was an urgent need for bottled water until the regular water supply was functional again. No water purification units exist, and water tanks would be needed in a humanitarian crisis. The assessment found that within municipality responsibilities, there are resources and services for washing, cleaning, and maintaining hygiene (food hygiene and personal hygiene) for emergency deployment, as well as small-scale electrical supply (e.g., mobile device charging). A gap was found in emergency outbreak surveillance and public awareness materials on emerging diseases or outbreaks after an emergency or disaster (central level responsibility). Diagnostic Report – Albania | 45 Indicator 4.1.3: Social Services Programs Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Vulnerable populations, including groups like women and children who are often targets of violence, are the populations most devastated by a disaster. Certain populations, such as the elderly and those with ongoing mental illness, may not have the ability to take care of themselves. Post-disaster contexts can create conditions that lead to extremes in cultural influences that could either exploit or traumatize specific vulnerable populations. The responsibility for social services programs is shared by municipalities and the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, as well as the Red Cross and the police (for family reunification). Specific vulnerable groups, like patients with mental health conditions, women, children, and the elderly, receive special attention. Good cooperation and support exist within municipalities in this field. Future issues are foreseen, as Albania currently has one of the world’s highest emigration rates relative to its population. During the Covid-19 pandemic, municipalities organized central distribution of care packages, including food and medicine, for vulnerable groups. The Red Cross has police-supported protocols in place for caring for separated family members during emergencies and disasters, and also provides reunification services. Social service programs could be improved by greater awareness about special needs, in-depth assessments, and support to local authorities. Indicator 4.1.4: Management of Mortality During Emergencies Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Deceased bodies hold minimal physical risk of disease transmission for survivors and responders, but they can attract vector and zoological factors that can cause disease separately. Failure to manage local cultural needs for disposal of bodies will slow disaster recovery. Body identification is important if resources permit, as this may give family members their only opportunity for closure. Albania has established safety procedures for recovery, handling, storage, and burial of bodies as well as protocols for storage or temporary burial of the deceased during mass fatality events and for final disposal of bodies. Mass casualties are mentioned in the law and procedures are laid down in the National Civil Emergency Plan.21 In a mass fatality event caused by emergency or disaster, identification of recovered bodies is the joint responsibility of the police and municipalities. Appropriate and formally designated vehicles for body recovery and transport are available within the jurisdiction and can be supported by the Ministry of Defense and the Red Cross. Criterion 4.2: Information and Communications Technology Indicator 4.2.1: Availability of Radio Communications in Support of Emergency Operations  Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Reliable radio communication forms a crucial lifeline for responders and provides critical information for EOC and command post personnel. Older and unreliable systems compromise safety and operations when they are needed the most. Newer digital systems enhance reliability and provide secure (encrypted) communications, often with text and other advanced capabilities to better manage all communications. Radio communications in support of emergency operations are used by the State Police. The military has secure radio equipment for military use only. There is no interoperable radio communication network for emergency situations. NEOC mainly uses (personal) smartphones and internet; radios are mostly not available. According to the National Civil Emergency Plan (Republika e Shqipërisë 2004): “Mass Casualty Management is led by the first responding 21 agency, usually the nearest operational forces. Depending on the location, First Response is undertaken by the first agency at the scene. Triage and First Aid is undertaken by the Ministry of Health Emergency Services, by any of the following, specialists of the Ministry of Defense (including CPB), Ministry of Education (Faculty of Medicine), Fire Protection and Rescue Service, Albanian Red Cross and qualified private sector volunteers.” 46 | Emergency Preparedness and Response Assessment Indicator 4.2.2: Interoperability of Radio Communications in Support of Emergency Operations Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Interoperable radio systems improve situational awareness and response efficiency and can prevent further damage or loss of life. Radio systems for responding agencies should be capable of communicating together in order to allow for a unified response and to ensure efficient information flow between responders, the command post, and EOC as necessary. There is no common radio communication system in place. Only the radios of the State Police can be used in case of emergencies. Indicator 4.2.3: Broadband Network Connectivity for EOC Use Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Broadband network connectivity, including connection to the internet, allows for efficient communication between response and relief agencies, incident command posts, and the EOC. This allows voice, data, and video communication that improves situational awareness, provides crucial links to the world outside of the disaster-affected area, and supports use of GIS, incident management systems, and early warning systems technologies. Broadband network connectivity is available to the EOCs, and the coverage across the country up to 4G is in general good, but the maximum speed varies. Broadband services enable voice and video communications and are available for use by multiple operational command posts. The system is tested on a regular basis to ensure functionality. Backup broadband connectivity (satellite or multi-carrier) is not available for the EOCs and command posts. There is no budget for regular maintenance and upgrade of emergency and disaster response equipment. Most of the first responders use their private phones. Indicator 4.2.4: Protection and Rapid Recovery of Public and Private Sector Communication Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: The general public relies upon communications during and following a disaster event. Hence a program for communication infrastructure protection and recovery must include participation of industry partners and all levels of government. Such participation could require a legislated mandate that ensures cooperation by all parties and provides some level of protection to private business information. Albania classifies telecommunications as critical infrastructure under Law No. 45/2019. According to Article 43, public institutions or private entities that are responsible for critical infrastructure need to ensure its normal functioning in the event of disasters. In line with EU regulations and under Law No. 9918/2008, On Electronic Communication in the Republic of Albania, there is an obligation to ensure telecommunication service delivery during emergencies and disasters and allow for rapid recovery of communication infrastructure. Backup systems like pathways, satellite, and point-to-point backhaul wireless, are not available to CP agencies. Criterion 4.3: Hazard-Specific Response Capacity Indicator 4.3.1: Functional Wildland Firefighting Capabilities  Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Many jurisdictions, including some heavily urbanized areas, include wildland areas. A functional capacity to prepare for and suppress wildland fires ensures wildland fires are less likely to breach the interface between wildland and built-up areas or communities, causing loss of life and severe economic consequences. As with flooding, wildland fires are often rapid-onset events with little opportunity for evacuation before peak event intensity. Diagnostic Report – Albania | 47 The R2R diagnostic confirmed that limited wildland firefighting capabilities are in place. Albania has only basic capabilities, equipment, and personnel to contain localized wildland fires. There are many needs for wildland firefighting, including 4x4 vehicles, SUVs, and specific equipment like thermal cameras to assess fires. The Ministry of Defense can provide additional support through two helicopters with designated forest fire equipment and additional technical fire extinguishing equipment. Forest management falls mostly under the (financial) responsibility of municipalities. The diagnostic noted the need for forest fire video surveillance as well as for an advanced system using aircraft, satellite, ground mapping, and meteorological data. Indicator 4.3.2: Capabilities for Rescue During Floods or Water-Based Emergencies Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Water-based rescue is a core response capacity in areas where floods or other water risks are prevalent. Specialized training and equipment is mandatory for safety and risk mitigation in water environments. Water rescue is a separate category from coast guard or ocean-based rescue (or rescue from other large water bodies) and requires extremely rapid response deployment to be effective. According to Article 30 of Law No. 45/2019, periodic community training is the responsibility of municipalities, but it currently takes place on an ad hoc basis. International projects and NGOs have previously been involved in this field. A good practice in community training is that of the Shkodra Rapid Forces, which have established two flood modules: Flood Rescue with Boats, and Flood Containment. One high-capacity pumping module is in place in the Shkodra municipality. All three modules are national and international modules developed as an outcome of the IPA Floods (Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance Floods) projects. Through the World Bank’s Albanian Disaster Risk Mitigation and Adaptation Project 2008–2013, 40 boats were delivered in different municipalities threatened by flood risks. Firefighters do not have diving capacities, but the State Police do. The available advanced equipment for flood and water rescue, including personal protective equipment, boats, and water vessels, is not sufficient for flooding and/or coastal emergencies. There is lack of budget for ongoing training, management development, and introduction of new technologies and relevant equipment. Indicator 4.3.3: Rescue Capacity for Structural Collapse and Entombed Rescue Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Structural collapse is typified by the victims being buried or otherwise not accessible to the responders. This differs from entrapment, in which victims are physically held by or trapped inside an item but (at least partially) accessible to responders. These two types of rescue disciplines may be present at the same incident and indeed be present with the same victim. In such cases, the rescue is classified as an entombed rescue: the victims are buried and their entrapment is not initially discernable. According to Law No. 10435, On Search and Rescue (dated June 23, 2011), rescue from collapsed buildings is the responsibility of the search and rescue teams of the Albanian armed forces. The PDNA for the 2019 earthquake reported that “the three national USAR [urban search and rescue] teams were immediately mobilised by the armed forces. The number of national teams is insufficient to cope and not equipped or trained according to international standards” (Government of Albania 2020b, 101). So far only these three medium urban search and rescue teams, which have not been classified by the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG), are in place. But they are equipped and trained for structural collapse rescues by the military. Heavy rescue equipment, like construction and earthmoving vehicles used to respond to landslides, avalanches, or mudflows, are only partially available. Medium urban search and rescue teams are available for deployment during catastrophic or large seismic events, as are paramedics or medically trained rescue personnel with advanced life support training in trauma and crush injuries. There is a lack of budget, deployment strategies, training schedules, safety regulations, and multi- agency coordination. 48 | Emergency Preparedness and Response Assessment Indicator 4.3.4: Functional Hazardous Mitigations Capability Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Hazardous material incidents pose a serious risk to anyone who is not properly protected, including rescuers wearing firefighting equipment. The primary focus at such incidents is to prevent the situation from deteriorating and causing greater harm. Rescue may be secondary. Developing an ability to do more than secure the area and evacuate those at risk requires intense investment in equipment and training. Only the armed forces in Albania have units with chemical and biological capabilities and equipment. The firefighters in Tirana have begun developing hazmat capacities as a reaction to a growing number of road accidents. The Ministry of Health and Social Protection and the Institute of Nuclear Physics have limited capacity for handling hazardous material incidents. Responders need to develop such capacities, purchase the necessary equipment, and have access to relevant reference materials (on hazmat identification and complete and accurate evacuation zone calculations). In addition, hospitals and medical resources would benefit from hazmat awareness and additional protective trainings. A systematic approach to budget, deployment strategies, and training schedules is required to strengthen chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) capacities. Criterion 4.4: Urban Firefighting and Technical Rescue Indicator 4.4.1: Functional Urban Firefighting Capabilities  Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Volunteer fire services are an option in rural or less populated areas. However, full- time services will tend to respond to a greater variety of incidents, as their training level increases with time, experience, and resources. Equipment and training are a major factor in any fire service’s ability to respond. The fire service’s tactics will necessarily reflect its equipment capabilities if responder safety has been fully considered. Under Law No. 152/2015, On Fire Protection and Rescue Service, most firefighting competencies were transferred from prefectures to the municipalities, leaving at the central level only legislation, training, and cooperation between firefighting structures. The service has many gaps related to equipment and training. Many of the available fire trucks are obsolete (some dating back to the sixties), are in bad condition, and are not interoperable because they were donated by different countries. Modern personal protective equipment and exterior and interior fire suppression gear are all in short supply or missing. Vehicles with ladders for extinguishing fires in high buildings (six or more stories) are insufficient. According to Law No. 152/2015, municipalities are obliged to invest in a voluntary firefighting capacity in addition to a professional service. But budget limitations prevent many municipalities from maintaining a voluntary firefighting program. Indicator 4.4.2: Entrapment and Extrication Rescue Capabilities Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Victim entrapment in a damaged motor vehicle is the most common technical rescue worldwide. Removing the vehicle from the victim, and not the victim from the vehicle, requires specialized equipment, training, and victim care. Such training and equipment may be the basis for responding to other emergency incidents in which a victim or a portion of a victim becomes trapped inside something (household items, farm equipment, commercial/industrial machines, etc.). The capabilities for extrication from entrapment rely upon the capacities described under 4.4.1. Some elements under this indicator are in place, but rescue tools and the expertise for vehicle extraction are missing. Not all municipal fire and rescue services have medical staff in their teams. Diagnostic Report – Albania | 49 Shortcomings exist in terms of heavy rescue squads or vehicles for advanced extrications (of victims entrapped in industrial machines, farming equipment, and other machinery), as well as for vehicle recoveries. A challenge for the future is to invest in new equipment that is interoperable in Albania and preferably also in neighboring countries. Indicator 4.4.3: Functional Rope Rescue Capabilities Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Rope rescue is the basis for other technical rescue disciplines (confined space rescue, water rescue, trench rescue, etc.), which often require ropes, harnesses, anchor and haul devices, etc. to undertake safely. Providing safety regulations for workers will limit death and injury in a high-risk setting. The muntain rescue service partly covers capabilities for rope rescue, including rappelling and abseiling, and capacity and equipment for low, steep, and high angle rescue, including from remote areas. For cave rescue, both equipment and training of teams need development. Overall, the structural budget to maintain and replace equipment and conduct ongoing training is needed. Indicator 4.4.4: Functional Confined Space Rescue Capabilities Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Confined space rescue is at the very high end of equipment and training requirements for technical rescue. Such rescues are resource- and trained personnel–intensive. Emergency services able to perform proper confined space rescues are well equipped and trained. This level of emergency service is thus expensive and considered at the apex of emergency response service delivery. Legislation and workplace regulations exist for safe working practices in confined space through Law No. 45/2019, On Civil Protection, and Law No. 152/2015, On Fire Protection and Rescue Service. Private companies and businesses are legally required to ensure safety and security for every single employee. The R2R diagnostic identified a lack of atmospheric monitoring and ventilation equipment for confined space rescue and a lack of communication devices suitable for work in a potentially explosive environment. 50 | Emergency Preparedness and Response Assessment Component ➎ Personnel  Criterion 5.1: Incident Organization Structures  Indicator 5.1.1: Existing Policy for a Common Incident Organization Structure  Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Incident organization structures, such as the Incident Command System or the National Incident Management System in the United States, are more successful if the system is directed by policy. Formal policy more strongly encourages response agencies to follow a common and standardized system. Without political backing on a common incident organization structure, all response entities will not have the benefits of a comprehensive, jurisdiction-wide, systematic approach to managing incidents. Ideally an incident organization structure is consistent with international best practice when forming system standards. An incident organization structure is not mentioned in Law No. 45/2019 and has not been implemented. According to Decision of the Council of Ministers No. 531, dated August 1, 2003: “In cases when the state of natural disaster is not declared yet, the commanding of the civil emergency service structures is conducted by the nearest fire station commander until the assignment of a Head of operation.” When a natural disaster is declared, Heads of Operations are appointed at the central, regional, and municipality levels from within institutions responsible for the conduct of the response operation. In prefectures, the prefect appoints a Head of Operations; if more than one prefecture is involved, the IMCCE appoints a Central Head of Operations.22 Indicator 5.1.2: Flexible and Scalable Incident Organization Structure Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: A flexible and scalable response structure allows for emergency incident flexibility and promotes user familiarity through a common structure for multiple incident types. The system should apply to any incident regardless of cause, size, location, or complexity. This allows various organizations and agencies to work together in a predictable, coordinated manner. Albania has not implemented a flexible incident command structure overall, but such a structure is used in some agencies (like the firefighters and medical services) to allow them to react depending on the size of an incident. Indicator 5.1.3: Training and Implementation Resources Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: An incident organization structure consistent with internationally recommended practices should be supported by resources, including reference materials, training materials, and exercise scenarios that allow responders to practice in a consequence-free environment. These reference and training resources should be provided to emergency responders as well as coordinators who may be working in emergency operations centers. An incident organization structure has not been adopted. Under Decision of the Council of Ministers No. 531, dated August 1, 2003, “In all cases, the operational actions are carried out in accordance with the Civil Protection manual, which is approved by the Minister.” In reality, this CP manual was never prepared or endorsed. In the meantime, guidelines and procedures are in place to fulfill the operational task for operational forces like the Fire and Rescue Service. Law No. 45/2019 has no specifications on this point, while Paragraph 2.1.7 of the National Civil Emergency Plan stipulates that “Central 22 level Head of Operations is selected from prepared and trained staffed on leading and managing civil emergency response operations.” See Republika e Shqipërisë (2004 ); Ministry of Defense (2004). Diagnostic Report – Albania | 51 Indicator 5.1.4: Roster of Trained Personnel and Database of Common Response Resources Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Emergency response agencies are trained and equipped to manage a particular threshold for both number of simultaneous events and event complexity/intensity. When these thresholds are exceeded, the responsible agency must have access to additional resources to effectively manage the emergency. Sharing of personnel and resources through a formal process can ensure collective preparedness of response agencies, help manage cost, and improve response efficiency. This personnel and resource sharing begins with shared understanding of what supports may be available to responding agencies when they are needed most. There is no roster of trained personnel or database of common response resources. In the different organizations, individual rosters and databases exist but are not linked to each other. If there is a request for personnel for specific functional roles or for response resources from other levels of government or jurisdictions, it is made by the prefectures via phone with the different responsible directors. If sharing of personnel is needed in response to natural disasters, this is the responsibility of the Head of Operations in the respective jurisdiction. Criterion 5.2: Training and Knowledge Building  Indicator 5.2.1: Training program in place  Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Those within an organization who may be involved in planning for and responding to an emergency should be appropriately prepared. They require a clear understanding of roles and responsibilities and how they fit into the wider emergency preparedness and response system. Training builds capability and capacity for emergency response incidents. Training should also extend beyond those employed by the jurisdiction and include contractors and the staff of voluntary organizations who might support emergency planning or response. According to Article 23 of Law No. 45/2019, the National Civil Protection Agency provides training to state and private entities and volunteers through the National Civil Protection Training Center and its training program. Municipalities are responsible for organizing training activities in the domain of CP for employees and residents in their territory. According to Article 9 of Law No. 152/2015, the General Directorate of Fire and Rescue conducts training and periodic qualification of staff and increases the professional skills of firefighting personnel under its jurisdiction. According to Article 11e of Law No. 152/2015, the General Directorate of Fire and Rescue’s Department for the Service Sector takes the lead at the local level and is responsible for enhancing the professional skills of the general directorate’s staff and the volunteer service, for implementing the vocational training program, and for developing indicative lessons for the Fire and Rescue Service. To a certain extent, training programs are in place in different organizations like the Red Cross. A training program is an obligation for NCPA,23 but that organization is being restructured and the program has not started. The army, police, and Fire and Rescue Service have their own training programs. The absence of adequate training facilities makes operational training challenging. Training is fragmented and mostly done ad hoc. A comprehensive training program is not in place. Several informants interviewed mentioned the critical need for a national training center for civil emergencies, open to all relevant CP stakeholders. It is generally accepted that training should be in accordance with the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) standards to offer an equal level of knowledge and to enhance interoperability. In light of Albania’s aim of joining UCPM, developments are ongoing to implement trainings and strengthen coordination in this regard. Evaluation processes and training improvements are only partially in place. According to Article 23f of Law No. 45/2019, “The NCPA shall perform the following main tasks: develop the training program for central and 23 local civil protection structures.” 52 | Emergency Preparedness and Response Assessment Indicator 5.2.2: Availability of Qualified Trainers and Appropriate Training Materials Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: A robust training program offers multiple methods of training, including off-site, on-site, instructor-led classroom training, self-directed, hands-on study, etc. While online training for basic concepts may be easy to deliver for those whose primary role is not emergency preparedness or response, in-person training coupled with workshop activities is more meaningful for participants and more easily absorbed. Having a variety of training methods is important to ensure comprehensive understanding of the material. Trainings provided by international actors, including the EU and United Nations Development Program (UNDP), are qualitatively good, follow adult learning methodologies, and are based on experience, best practices, and international standards. Still, this indicator is challenged by two main issues, namely the absence of a national training center in country and the dependency on external trainers. Efforts are needed to ensure that the training program becomes robust, focused on country needs, and sustainable. A training-of-trainers program, which could disseminate knowledge within the country and build respective capacity, is missing. In connection with the wish to join the UCPM, it is crucial to provide the EP&R system with internationally certified trainers. Training materials including reference materials are in place for the army and firefighters but lacking for civil first responders. Indicator 5.2.3: Formal Assessment Program Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Regular program evaluation is critical to ensuring a comprehensive and effective training program. Feedback should be obtained from all participants to determine training and instructor effectiveness as well as knowledge or skill acquisition. Analyzing this feedback can identify weaknesses in the training program and aid in closing critical learning gaps that may otherwise compromise effective emergency response operations. Building on the assessment of the previous indicators, the diagnostic has identified room for improvement in formal assessment of training. In keeping with practices of international organizations delivering trainings in country, training material and instructor technique are evaluated based on international best practices and adult learning standards. However, the trainings are isolated events and not part of an overall and long-term development program that evaluates personnel behaviors and improved capabilities, and that monitors response outcomes through exercises and real emergency events. Training is evaluated through in-class testing and participant feedback/surveys. Indicator 5.2.4: Planning and Tracking of Personnel Development Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: When responder agencies formally and deliberately plan personnel development and track its results, agency-specific capacity can be known. This information provides agencies with heightened awareness and advance knowledge of when additional resources or special emphasis may be required to ensure they have the capacity to continually meet their responsibilities. In line with the previous findings, tracking of personnel deployment is not sufficiently in place. Personnel may be sent abroad to obtain certificates of international training courses, but this is not done as an element of a broader development plan or in conjunction with other training. Participation in basic courses is mandatory for agencies, but remains an isolated event instead of being part of clear career development. Participation in basic refresher courses, exercises, and drills is mandatory in Albania.24 The requirement is in Article 63.2 of Law No. 45/2019: “The National Civil Protection Agency staff, the relevant civil protection structures of 24 the ministries, the prefect and the municipalities, shall continually enhance their professional skills through training funded by them or various donors.” Diagnostic Report – Albania | 53 Criterion 5.3: Exercises and Drill  Indicator 5.3.1: Comprehensive Exercise Program  Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: A formal and functional exercise and drill program enables testing of response plans and application of training in a consequence-free environment. Exercises allow for team building within and among responder agencies, especially when exercises and drills are collaboratively designed and delivered. Exercises should reflect appropriate jurisdictional risks and increase in complexity and difficulty as participants and their agencies increase their operational response capacity. The R2R diagnostic noted that there is no official national training plan in place,25 but each organization conducts its own trainings. It also found that multiple exercises are organized, often in cooperation with international actors like NATO. Exercise planning and design is guided by identified hazards that present the most significant risk and highest public safety consequence to the jurisdiction. The lead agency for exercises will be decided by the agencies. Normally, a lessons-learned process is part of an interagency exercise. Funding of trainings or interagency exercises is limited and insufficient. Indicator 5.3.2: Collaboration and Coordination Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Collaborative and centrally coordinated exercises that involve multiple response agencies provide opportunities for collective learning that could otherwise be realized only during actual emergencies and disasters. Such exercises, while somewhat more complex, are also more reflective of real-world response operations, which tend to involve a variety of sectors and agencies. Exercises involve multiple actors and are often organized in coordination with other response agencies and include volunteers. However, further coordination and cooperation between the different levels of government would help to strengthen coordination in the system. There are not enough exercises involving multiple organizations; both the private sector and critical infrastructure are mostly absent in exercises. Indicator 5.3.3: Exercises Designed to Validate Response Plans Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Evaluation is the key to a successful exercise. It is where all lessons learned and gaps are identified. An essential part of a successful evaluation process is ensuring objectives are developed based on plans and assessed jurisdictional risks. Clear and concise objectives are key factors that form evaluation criteria and performance measures. A post-exercise report on how to implement changes needs to be carefully documented, tracked, and used during annual work planning for following fiscal years. Exercises are planned and conducted to improve opportunities and share information between participating countries/organizations as well as to validate response plans and procedures. After-action reports are shared with all participating organizations. Exercise and drill scope, aim, and objectives are designed to validate response plans and procedures of the National Civil Emergency Plan. However, improvement plans are often not developed, and there is no effort to monitor implementation of lessons learned. According to Article 23.6.f of Law No. 45/2019, “The NCPA shall perform the following main tasks: f) developing the training program for 25 central and local civil protection structures.” 54 | Emergency Preparedness and Response Assessment Indicator 5.3.4: Robust Exercise and Drill Planning Process Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Exercises can be difficult and time-consuming to develop. Personnel with multiple other duties may not prioritize development of complex field exercises with multiple stakeholders. Significant time and money must be dedicated to develop a robust and useful program. In many cases, large-scale operational exercises have been successful only with year-long planning, a dedicated budget, and experienced exercise planners. Smaller budgets are acceptable as long as the scale of the exercise equals that of the budget. For example, a multi-day, multi-stakeholder, 24/7 exercise would be challenging without the support of a dedicated design and delivery team. Exercises and drills are designed and delivered with limited budget. They are planned by staff relevant to the identified scenario, have key design components (like objectives), and build on realistic scenarios. There is a clear need to improve the planning and execution as well as the evaluation and lessons-learned phase. Criterion 5.4: International Support Coordination  Indicator 5.4.1: Agency Assigned to Coordinate International Support  Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: Designating an agency to officially request disaster relief formalizes and streamlines the assistance request process and improves the speed and efficiency of international aid delivery following widespread and/or intensive emergencies and disasters. Improved capability enables the jurisdiction to make the best use of internationally accepted tools and resources. With this capacity, the jurisdiction can complete advanced planning to identify likely disasters and potential aid requirements. It is also better able to coordinate with international and humanitarian aid agencies as well as other levels of government. According to Article 54 of Law No. 45/2019, the IMCCE is the authority responsible for coordinating international support when a natural disaster is declared; in other cases the responsible authority is the NCPA. According to Article 53 of Law No. 45/2019, acceptance of international assistance is carried out by the relevant ministry in cooperation with the ministry responsible for foreign affairs. The National Civil Emergency Plan defines the coordination of international support, including potential aid requirements, operational standards, and logistical considerations as well as donations management. There is staff available at NCPA to coordinate international assistance in collaboration with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) and UNDP. There is sufficient knowledge available on how to request international assistance from the UN, EU, and NATO. Indicator 5.4.2: Minimum Standard for Provision of Aid by International Groups Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: The accountable agency for coordinating international support should be aware of international standards that ensure service quality and consistency of aid during very complex and difficult times. Such standards provide formal procedures for collaborative decision-making, identify best practices, and enable performance monitoring and issue reporting. These standards also typically include minimum standards for documentation, an operational framework, and oversight to ensure outcomes are being met. According to Article 54 of Law No. 45/2019, “International assistance shall be provided in accordance with the principles of humanity, equality, and impartiality.” However, best practices and international standards (i.e., Sphere, Humanitarian Action Plan) have not been formally adopted. Organizations to provide assistance are identified, and the assistance they will offer varies from disaster to disaster. There are specific internal forms and protocols stipulated in the National Civil Emergency Plan to ensure expenditure tracking and timely movement of relief and aid. Experiences have shown that this process is only partially functioning. Agreements are in place with organizations (the Red Cross and UNDP) to support disaster and emergency relief and aid. Processes and internal resources have been established to track and evaluate international support to ensure accepted quality standards. Such controls are conducted at the borders. Diagnostic Report – Albania | 55 Indicator 5.4.3: Functional Logistics System in Place to Receive International Support Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: In a post-disaster environment, tight communication and control will be required to carry out effective and reliable disaster relief coordination. To enable expedited and efficient movement of aid resources, the agency coordinating support should have agreements or memorandums of understanding established with warehouses, airports, and transportation entities before a disaster. Substantial international assistance was received after the 2019 earthquake. This led to the identification of serious challenges in terms of channeling assistance. Organizations used different channels to bring assistance to the country, leading to different standards, degrees of government control, compensation of staff and volunteers, and sharing of assistance. The R2R diagnostic found that formal agreements to receive, store, and distribute incoming disaster aid resources are not in place. When a natural disaster has not been formally declared, NCPA coordinates the distribution of international assistance. When a natural disaster has been declared, IMCCE is in charge of coordinating the distribution of international assistance.26 According to Law No. 9900, dated April 4, 2008, and amended in Article 3, the State Reserves are created for the protection of the population, the economy, and the country, in situations of emergency, extraordinary state, terrorist acts, and military operations (in a state of war), which could cause immediate and serious damage to life, health of the population and livestock, wealth, cultural heritage, and the environment. The State Reserve faced international criticism following the 2019 earthquake, as it was not able to distribute relief items in an organized and timely manner, and misuse was reported. Private sector agreements for logistical support have not been established. Indicator 5.4.4: Functional Logistics System in Place to Distribute International Support Rationale given by the R2R diagnostic: The capacity to distribute aid resources that have been cached in advance of a disaster, or received immediately following a disaster, is vital to managing the consequences of the event and transitioning to recovery. In particular, determining how aid will be prioritized for distribution and identifying redundant distribution channels for remote and/or unreachable areas are important in advance planning. The obligations of all state and private stakeholders are stipulated in Law No. 45/2019 and the National Civil Emergency Plan. According to Article 42 of Law No. 45/2019, “private entities shall be involved in specific tasks, based on their preparation, skills, and need to help overcome the state of natural disaster.” Compensation in such cases is provided by the state budget, the civil emergency program, various donations, and other resources. Transportation to support the distribution of international relief pre-and post-disaster is planned with the armed forces, Red Cross, and State Reserve. Qark and municipal civil emergency plans do not include plans or procedures for distributing aid in remote disaster- affected areas. The requirement is in Article 54, Paragraph 4 of Law No. 45/2019: “The authority responsible for coordinating host country support in cases 26 of natural disaster declaration shall be the Inter-Ministerial Committee for Civil Emergencies, while in other cases it shall be the NCPA.” 56 | Emergency Preparedness and Response Assessment Annex 2 Interview Overview Date Time Institution Contact Position 08:45–09:30 World Bank Daniel Kull Focal Point Albania (Global Facility for May 4 Disaster Reduction and Recovery Geneva) May 5 09:30–10:30 United Nations Brian J. Williams UN Resident Coordinator 09:00–10:30 National Civil Protection Agency Dukate Dodaj NCPA Expert (NCPA)  Fatjona Xhaferi NCPA Expert 10:45–12:30 Directorate of Preparedness Robert Hysenllari Acting Director and Coordination of Emergency May 8 Response / One of the six directorates of NCPA 13:00–14:30 General Directorate of Fire and Alfred Kristuli General Director Rescue, Ministry of Interior 09:00–10:30 Ministry of Health and Social Rakip Gjoni Head of Sector on Monitoring, Protection Prioritizing, and Statistics 10:45–12:15 Albanian State Police, Tirana Skender Doda Director of Management and Direction May 11 headquarters 13:15–14:45 Tirana Municipality Erind Bejko General Director of Civil Emergencies 15:00–16:30 EU Delegation Hubert Grandjean Project Manager Operational Section II Andrea Vero Head of Operational Section 09:00–10:30 General Directorate of State Sokol Zaimi Director Reserves 10:45–12:15 Tirana Municipality, Firefighting Shkelqim Goxhaj Director Directorate 12:45–14:15 Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) Malfor Nuri TAP Country Manager, Albania May 12 Jose Manuel de la Senior Corporate Health, Safety & Torre Gallegos Environment(HSE) Manager Suela Dauti Quality, Health, Safety & Environment (QHSE) Officer 14:30–16:30 Ministry of Infrastructure and Genci Hoxhaj Head of Industry Development Programs Energy Section 10:45–12:15 Tirana International Airport Ermir Kaci Director 12:45–14:15 State Authority for Geospatial Dritan Prifti Head of Remote Sensing Sector May 13 Information 14:30–16:30 Ministry of Defense Ismail Shehu Director of Programming, Standardization and Harmonization of Regulatory Acts Diagnostic Report – Albania | 57 Date Time Institution Contact Position 09:30–11:00 World Health Organization Ardian Xinxo National Professional Officer, Country Preparedness and International Health Regulation Officer 11:15–12:45 United Nations Development Vladimir Malkaj Programme Specialist, Democratic Programme (UNDP) Albania, Governance Part I 13:00–15:00 Ministry of Finance and Economya Gentian Opre Director of Directorate of Budget Analysis and Programming, General Directorate of Budget May 14 15:15–16:45 Ministry of Defense Albanian Aleksander Pano General Staff/Director of Logistics Armed Forces Regional Support Command/RSC 17:00–18:00 United Nations Development Elvita Spahiu Programme Officer Programme (UNDP) Albania, (Kabashi) Part II Odeta Cato Head of Environment and Climate Change Ara Nazinyan Program Coordinator Lorenc Koçi National Expert, Albania 09:00–10:30 Qark Tirana Klajdi Nikolli Chief of Emergency Sector 10:45–12:15 Albanian Red Cross Fatos Xhengo Disaster Relief and First Aid Program Coordinator May 15  12:30–14:30 Institute of Geosciences, Energy, Llambro Duni Head of Seismology Department Water and Environment (IGEWE) Klodian Zaimi Supervisor of National Centre of Forecasting and Monitoring of Natural  14:45–16:15 National Medical Urgency Center Skënder Brataj Head of National Medical Urgency Center a. 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