Context / background:Europe has a number of rescue teams which provide assistance to the general public in cases of emergencies. These rescue organisations work on a voluntary basis and provide training to their volunteers to equip them with the necessary knowledge of how to act in a particular situation. Before our project, the working methods that used by volunteers during these rescue operations was not harmonised. Therefore volunteers from one organisation handle an emergency situation differently from volunteers of another European rescue organisation. This creates problems when multiple organisations need to mobilise their volunteers in order to meet the increasing demands for assistance in an emergency. Objectives:Following the above-mentioned problem, six organisations came up with the idea of creating a Rescue Operations Manual containing best practices and common working methods to be adopted for a number of rescue disciplines that were targeted in this project. The six participant organisations will eventually adopt this rescue manual as a common training document, altering their training curriculum to harmonise the manner by which volunteers act when they are involved in rescue missions. This facilitates the deployment of multiple rescue teams working together, making their response safer and more efficient. Number and profile of participants:The participants for this project include the applicant and lead organisation (EFRU) together with five partners from Italy, Portugal, Greece, UK and Cyprus. Every organisation appointed a Project Coordinator, 2 Key Persons and a Manager. All have a significant background in within the organisations as volunteers and knowledgeable about rescue response. The 2 key persons are experts in the rescue disciplines tackled by the project. The Managers were responsible for the development of the Rescue Operations Manual, working closely with the key persons.Methodology and Description of activities:The project was conducted through discussions in transnational meetings, while rescue simulations were used to gather data required for the development of the rescue manual and also to validate the results of the project. A conference served as a dissemination activity of the project results. 1) 5 Transnational Meetings: During these meetings the key persons and the managers discussed the rescue disciplines targeted by this project, more specifically the content to be included in the rescue manual, including best practices and common working methods identified observed during the rescue simulations. The transnational meetings also served for planning of activities and also for project coordination, making sure it was running smoothly. 2) 2 Simulation activities: The first simulation was carried out after the first transnational meeting and its scope was to bring together rescue volunteers from the participant organisations and assign them to multinational teams responsible to perform different realistic rescue tasks. Their behaviour and interaction was noted and this was used to help the Managers devise the best possible working methods to be included in the Manual. On the other hand, the second simulation was held after the last meeting and exactly before the Conference in order to test the results of this project. 3) A Conference: This was held at the very end of the project to publish the rescue manual and make public the results of this project. A number of keynote speeches related to volunteering in rescue were also delivered during the conference. The media was invited to attend this conference to extend the awareness to the community. Results and impact:The result of this project culminated in the Rescue Operations Manual which was finished to high standards and distributed during the conference. The rescue volunteers that participated in the rescue simulations benefited from the experience of working alongside each other in mixed teams and had many learning opportunities valuable for when they might be called to assist in major emergencies. The participant organisations are now able to improve their training curriculum to make it more in line with the common working methods in the rescue manual, to harmonize the training of their current and future volunteers. Other organisations that attended the conference also had the opportunity to receive the rescue manual and to network with other organisations with a view to cooperate together in the future.Longer term benefits:Harmonisation of training and networking of rescue organisations will ensure that more rescue volunteers will be able to work safer and better-coordinated when working alongside one another in the event of major emergencies thus providing a more efficient service to the community in the time of most need.

"Not to be confused with the Christian most known definition, V.I.A.T.I.C.U.M, acronym of “Volunteers in Action to Improve Competences Union and Mood” refers to a rare and unknown meaning of the word: ""provisions or a travel allowance for a journey”. A definition re-discussed by 9 great and unique partners representing the widest panorama of organisations which base their activity on saving people, animals and our earth.V.I.A.T.I.C.U.M is a project which wasn’t born yesterday but a long time ago. Thanks to a previous K2 project leaded by the Maltese partner (2015-2017), some of the organisations of the new consortium have already worked together and are today owners of a precious luggage of experiences and learning. That’s why V.I.A.T.I.C.U.M. which for us has an even deeper sense: the baggage of experiences and new competences acquired during a journey which belongs to the European Community. V.I.A.T.I.C.U.M. new edition is the strategic partnership bigger and stronger, leaded by Edelweiss based in one of the poorest, disadvantaged but most beautiful region of Italy: Calabria region. The project is focused on adult learners and is based on 3 main aims:1) Give continuity and realise a second part of the manual “Rescue techniques for emergency response” which has been and is still the first one realized in Europe thanks to Erasmus support as “Introductory manual for European Volunteer Rescuers”. An updated manual would develop 3 new urgent chapters: “Search: K9 and technical equipment”, “Cave rescue”, “Logistics and management (creation and management oftends cities for emergency rescuers)”.2) Raise attention on the fundamental work done by common citizens in Europe and all around the world, who base their action on volunteering and self training, spirit of initiative and pure human vocation to save people’s and animal’s lives, nature and to protect environment and cultural heritage, art and assure safe&security for all in all possible context.3) Create other two important tools aiming at the mainstreaming of the importance of volunteering in the actual world society and at the same time, useful for experts rescuers and new comers to enter in contact with volunteering organisations of their local contexts.In line with these 3 main aims, on behalf of V.I.A.T.I.C.U.M , 9 partners from 9 Countries in cooperation with other key strategic associated national and local partners (wider networks) plan to realise 3 main outputs:1. European Volunteer Rescuers - 2nd volume (which together with the already existing 1st manual will form a Full complete manual) 2. Rescue Pocket Manual3. RESCUE APP (and HD videos for and on rescuers) based on a website containing the main important informations for all citizens on “what are the risks and the dangers in our common lives and how rescuers risk their lives to save humans and animals”. The platform texts will be produced and translated in the main important languages of communication (English, Spanish and Italian). All materials are plurilingual. Furthermore, the website/app will contain a certain number of H.D videos produced by partners showing study cases, phenomena and events when the intervention of rescuers is required, it solves problems/crises or saves lives. The APP is a powerful direct channel also to ask for help and interact directly with rescuers. In a future, the materials realised can be increased in the time and be part of a dedicated Web-TV or TV channel.V.I.A.T.I.C.U.M is a 3-years project which, for a first stage (1 year) will continue the job interrupted in 2017, which, informally, never stopped. 6 months will be dedicated to the realisation of the hand-pocket version of the whole manual (1st and 2nd part), 1 year for the creation of the platform linked with an app to be promoted and downloaded all around the world. 36 months of team building, training adults to be high skilled “rescuers” able to face different situations and prevent risks for the humanity.Project structure. Along 3 years partners will divide into working teams and will attend 5 physical T.P. Meetings in Italy, Malta, France, Hungary and Spain + 1 virtual/online TPM6, will organise 20 Multiplier events and 3 Learning Mobilities (Portugal, Italy and Malta). Transnational Project Meetings are 2-days events considered as part of the coordination and management process all along the project. Team Leaders take part to these meetings to check, evaluate, plan and establish deadlines to implement the whole project. Each team works in their local contexts in constant communication and coordination with the leading organisation and with all the partners. Learning Mobilities are strategic and innovative meetings focused on learning and practice on the field, train high skilled rescuers/trainers. These 7 days meetings are key moments to produce contents, share and train participants, consolidate the whole learning process and strengthen team building."