The Bulgarian Red Cross and the US embassy in Bulgaria invited diplomatic missions and the Consular Association to a meeting on the safety, readiness and welfare of foreigners in the country, the Red Cross said.
Consular officials from 12 countries attended: Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland and the US. Representatives of the Consular Association were also there. Hristo Grigorov, chairman of the Bulgarian Red Cross, and Leonard H. Laid, consul and chairman of the Consular Association, welcomed the participants.
The meeting follows earlier visits by US consular officials to regional branches of the Bulgarian Red Cross.
The Red Cross told the officials what it can offer for their work. It provides training and response for disasters and crises, water and mountain rescue, first aid and basic life support. It can also help restore family contact and support foreigners hit by emergencies.
Both sides also shared practical advice on prevention that can be passed on to foreigners who live in Bulgaria, visit it or travel through it. The topics were safe behaviour in and around water, preventing injuries in the mountains and how to react in an emergency. The talks showed that closer cooperation between the Red Cross and the missions is needed so foreigners get practical information in time, information that can save a life.
The Red Cross said it is ready to work with the missions and the Consular Association on joint projects to improve readiness and safety for the people their institutions serve.
The Bulgarian Red Cross ran a course for lead trainers from 15 to 18 October under a joint programme with the Canadian Red Cross. It had six standard modules. They cover the tasks and duties of the teams and how they fit into the Bulgarian Red Cross system for disaster and crisis preparedness and response.