The results achieved so far by the SAFETY4TMF project were reviewed on September 16 at an online professional roundtable organised by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Forests. Representatives of the Harghita County Council also presented the project’s activities and results in Harghita County, including practical and theoretical training sessions, equipment procurement, publications and events aimed at informing the public, as well as the experience gained during the international civil protection exercise organised in Vlăhița in 2025.
The SAFETY4TMF project involves 15 partners from nine countries. Romania is represented by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Forests, Babeș–Bolyai University and the Harghita County Council. The Harghita County Volunteer Firefighters Association is the strategic partner of the Harghita County Council. The project aims to reduce the risks associated with mining waste facilities and to strengthen the preparedness and cooperation of authorities, local governments and other organisations concerned.
The training activities in Harghita County were organised within the SAFETY4TMF project between July and September 2025 in Dealu, Praid, Corund and Tibod, with the participation of a total of 64 volunteer firefighters. The training aimed to provide practical preparation for flood and flash flood situations and to improve communication and coordination between emergency response teams.
Participants also learned how to use a mobile flood protection system. They practised the entire intervention process, from surveying the terrain to installing, sealing and stabilising the mobile flood barrier, pumping water and dismantling the system. Both slowly developing flood situations and flash floods were simulated in the field. The practical training was supplemented by digital professional training materials.
The results and experience gained during the international civil protection exercise organised in Vlăhița between September 3 and 5, 2025, were also presented. The exercise was coordinated by the Harghita County Council, with the Harghita County Volunteer Firefighters Association acting as its strategic partner.
More than 100 participants took part in the exercise, with emergency response teams arriving from Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria. The exercise continued for 24 hours, including overnight, and involved a total of 14 rescue scenarios. According to the simulated emergency situation, heavy rainfall and beaver activity had blocked the drainage system of an inactive tailings facility located near Harghita-Băi, resulting in an overflow, a partial dam failure and a mudflow moving towards the valley.
The selection of Vlăhița was justified by the area’s mining history and the proximity of a kaolin tailings facility located near Harghita-Băi. According to the data presented, eight mining waste facilities are registered in Harghita County, making preparedness for similar emergency situations important for the county as well.
As part of the project, intervention and logistical equipment worth more than EUR 15,000 was procured. This included a mobile flood protection system, protective equipment, mobile containers, a generator and lighting equipment.
The roundtable also presented the project’s research and professional results. Discussions covered the assessment of risks associated with mining waste facilities, the mapping of vulnerable areas and the modelling of cross-border risks. The methods and mapping solutions developed within the project were presented, together with the experience gained from training sessions and exercises organised in different countries. The professional discussions also addressed how the project’s results could be used in disaster preparedness and in the development of emergency response procedures.
The experience gained during the exercise in Vlăhița can continue to be used in disaster preparedness in Harghita County after the project has ended. The conclusions presented also provide important guidance for the development of emergency response procedures, professional training and public information.
Miercurea Ciuc, September 16, 2026.