Russian Minister for Emergency Situations, Sergei Shoigu, visited the Krasnaya Polyana Emergency Rescue Center today to inspect preparations for the Sochi 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The visit saw Mr Shoigu meet with the South of Russia Emergency Services department head, Alexander Kolupaev, for a briefing on contingency planning for the region’s 22 Olympic and 11 Paralympic Winter Games venues.

Detailed emergency planning for Sochi 2014 incorporates typical logistical considerations, but also needs to take into account the region’s rare climate and geography. The scale of infrastructure and venue development in the area as it prepares for 2014 makes emergency planning additionally important, and rigorous training is therefore being implemented by the authorities.

These preparations will further intensify around 18 months prior to the Games, as visitor numbers begin to increase and official test events take place. Shortly before the start of Sochi 2014, the region is likely to see an influx of Olympic and Paralympic athletes wishing to acclimatize and set up training bases. This strategy proved successful for the Russian national football team, which arrived for the 2008 European Championships in Austria and Switzerland a month before they began; training in nearby Germany for the duration.

A number of new subdivisions have been created to help accelerate emergency planning. In addition to the main Krasnodar Region Emergency Office, there are now 6 regional emergency departments aiding preparations. These are the Emergency Departments of Adyg Republic; Kabardino-Balkarskoi Karachaevo-Cherkesskoi; Northern Osetia-Alania; Stavropolskii and Rostov.

They will help to develop complex rescue procedures covering both venue clusters, athlete accommodation areas and the area’s transport network. They will also calculate the required firefighting, medical and search and rescue services, together with the necessary raw materials and technical equipment for work on Olympic venues and their surroundings.

Emergency service provision has already been allocated to specific mountain resorts, and will start training at Krasnaya Polyana, Arhiz, Dombai, Lago-Naki, Terskol and Tcei respectively. Also being addressed is venue fire safety and rescue. Four new fire stations and 10 new helicopter landing areas are set to be built on the Sochi 2014 mountain cluster – with 6 of the latter situated at Olympic venues themselves.

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