On the Slovenian side of the border, in the Vodice area within the Municipality of Ajdovščina, a large-scale cross-border protection, rescue and relief exercise titled “Lost Hikers – Vodice” took place last Saturday. The main purpose of the exercise, organized by the Civil Protection Headquarters of the Municipality of Ajdovščina, was the practical training of civil protection units, volunteers, and first responders. Participating services tested their preparedness, coordination, and effectiveness in challenging terrain.
The exercise was based on a scenario in which a large group of hikers encounters a wild animal in the forest, becomes frightened, and scatters, resulting in several people getting lost and injured. To successfully locate and rescue them, teams in the field used a wide range of tools and methods, from rescue dogs to drones equipped with thermal imaging, which provided ground teams with precise coordinates. A key role in overcoming hard-to-reach areas was played by UTV off-road vehicles acquired through the project, enabling rapid access and safe transport of injured persons to the base for further medical care.
Special attention was given to the testing of new SOS points. These allow an injured person to independently contact the emergency call centre (112), even in areas without mobile signal. The system operates through multiple communication channels – mobile network, satellite connection, and the LoRaWAN network – and is fully autonomous, powered by solar energy. This significantly increases the possibility of a rapid response even in the most demanding conditions, when conventional communication channels fail.
The exercise also provided an excellent opportunity to strengthen cross-border cooperation. In addition to numerous local services such as the Civil Protection of the Municipality of Ajdovščina, Ajdovščina Police Station, Ajdovščina Health Centre, Red Cross of Slovenia – Ajdovščina Regional Association, Ajdovščina Fire and Rescue Centre, Ajdovščina Firefighting Association, volunteer fire brigades (Selo, Col, Šmarje, Ajdovščina and Vipava), Mountain Rescue Service Ajdovščina, Nova Gorica Rescue Dog Association, Danilo Remškar Caving Society, and the Social Work Centre of Northern Primorska – Ajdovščina unit, the exercise also involved the company IGEA with unmanned systems and Italian rescue dog units.
The exercise concluded around 2 p.m. with an after-action review, where participating services jointly evaluated the implementation, highlighted good practices, and identified opportunities for further improvement. Such activities are essential for strengthening preparedness and further enhancing cross-border cooperation in complex emergency response situations.
