LEZEC 2018 exercise focused on saving lives and protecting Czech critical infrastructure

An armed intruder on a very high-voltage (VHV) transmission tower and a medical emergency during maintenance work. These were the scenarios of the LEZEC 2018 joint exercise, carried out in Prague – Benice by ČEPS, the Prague Fire Rescue Service and the Czech Police. The aim of the tactical exercise was to coordinate the Integrated Rescue System (IZS) units in practising the rescue of people from a VHV tower and the protection of elements of Czech critical infrastructure. All of this took place in a real-world environment near very high-voltage lines.

A very high-voltage transmission tower near Benice, outside Prague, was transformed today into a site where lives were being saved. A caller reported to the 112 emergency line that his colleague had suffered a medical emergency while carrying out repairs on a VHV tower and had been left hanging there. After confirming the incident, the operations centre dispatched Prague Fire Rescue Service units and the Czech Police Air Service to the scene. A similar scenario was repeated after an armed intruder climbed a VHV tower. The task of officers from Prague's intervention unit was to apprehend the perpetrator and bring him down to the ground.

Two scenarios, two emergencies, the response to which ČEPS and Integrated Rescue System units practised today as part of the LEZEC 2018 joint exercise. The aim of the exercise was to test preparedness for similar situations and practise coordination procedures among IZS units in the more challenging environment near very high-voltage lines. According to the scenario, both saving a life and protecting the VHV tower as an element of Czech critical infrastructure required the deployment of a helicopter. A Czech Police patrol and Prague Municipal Police directed traffic at the site.

„We greatly welcome joint exercises in real-life conditions. Ensuring the safe and reliable operation of the Czech electricity system is one of our company's main tasks,“ said Jan Kalina, Chairman of the Board of Directors of ČEPS.

ČEPS's task during the exercise was primarily to verify the effectiveness of the established alarm procedure, test coordination of the disconnection of very high-voltage lines for the rescue operations of IZS units, and assess the expected response time of the emergency team.

The exercise gave Integrated Rescue System units an opportunity to become familiar with the technical equipment used for rescues in areas near VHV lines and to practise interventions in real-life conditions.

„We had a unique opportunity to practise the precise coordination of our procedures with the Czech Police helicopter pilot, particularly in the more challenging environment above a very high-voltage tower,” said Col. Ing. David Vratislavský, Director of the IZS Department of the Prague Fire Rescue Service.

„Officers from Prague's intervention unit carried out an operation against an armed perpetrator who entered a very high-voltage tower. While two officers disarmed and apprehended him directly on the tower, a third abseiled down to them from a helicopter. The officers then brought him to the ground using safety ropes,“ said Jan Rybanský, spokesman for the Prague Regional Police Directorate.

Very high-voltage lines, together with other facilities managed by ČEPS, are elements of Czech critical infrastructure. Disruption to their safe operation would have a direct impact on ensuring reliable electricity supplies not only in the Czech Republic, but also, through interconnected systems, in the wider European context. ČEPS therefore actively tests its preparedness to address emergency or crisis situations. It regularly takes part in joint exercises in cooperation with Integrated Rescue System units, the Czech Army and regional authorities.