Making emergency planning simpler, clearer, and more inclusive by involving citizens alongside first responders and public authorities.
CARES is a 36-month European project funded under the Horizon Europe research programme. The initiative addresses an increasingly urgent challenge: extreme weather events and sudden disruptions often reveal the limits of traditional, static emergency response plans.
To bridge this gap, CARES builds a "Whole-of-Society" preparedness model. This approach brings together government agencies, local emergency services, and everyday citizens to ensure that communities do not merely react to crises, but actively help shape how preparedness and evacuations are managed.
Core pillars of the project
- Adaptive Emergency & Evacuation Plans (AIEEPs): Instead of rigid paper manuals, CARES creates dynamic emergency plans that adjust in real time to evolving hazards, providing clear, accessible instructions and safe evacuation routes for everyone.
- Learning from past disasters: Using smart digital tools supported by artificial intelligence, the project automatically analyzes data from past events to highlight proven countermeasures and avoid repeating past mistakes.
- Interactive training & co-creation: A centralized digital training platform offers practical courses, educational tools, and interactive simulations where local authorities, first responders, and citizens can train together.
Real-world pilot testing
CARES solutions are tested and validated directly on the ground across three European regions, each reflecting distinct hazards:
- Italy (Umbria Region): Managing wildfire threats and developing safe, coordinated community evacuation strategies.
- Sweden (Örebro Region): Safeguarding essential food distribution logistics during severe flood events.
- Germany (Görlitz District): Maintaining essential public services and power continuity during critical infrastructure failures.
The role of Cittadinanzattiva (ACN)
As a civil society organization and NGO, Cittadinanzattiva APS / Active Citizenship Network (ACN) represents the citizen perspective within the CARES consortium. Technological and policy innovation in disaster management is only effective if people understand and trust it. Cittadinanzattiva’s primary role is to ensure that real human experiences, accessibility, and the specific needs of vulnerable groups—such as the elderly or persons with disabilities—remain at the center of all project tools and strategies.
Key Contributions:
- Community insight: Gathering public expectations and information needs through surveys and local participatory workshops.
- Inclusive co-design: Validating emergency and evacuation plans alongside residents to guarantee that instructions are practical, inclusive, and easy to follow.
- Policy impact: Translating project results into clear recommendations for national and European institutions to support disaster risk governance.
Project Details
- Duration: 36 months (2026–2029)
- Consortium: 21 partner organizations across 6 European countries (Italy, Germany, Sweden, United Kingdom, Austria, and Portugal), coordinated by RINA Consulting
- RINA Consulting S.p.A. (RINA-C) – Coordinatore di progetto
- AGENZIA NAZIONALE PER LE NUOVE TECNOLOGIE, L'ENERGIA E LO SVILUPPO ECONOMICO SOSTENIBILE (ENEA)
- UNIVERSITÀ CAMPUS BIO-MEDICO DI ROMA (UCBM)
- FORMIT - Fondazione per la Ricerca sulla Migrazione e sulla Integrazione delle Tecnologie
- Associazione Morale di Mutuo Soccorso fra Vigili ed ex Vigili del Fuoco (MSVVF)
- Associazione Cittadinanzattiva APS (ACN)
- Comune di Gualdo Tadino (GUALDO)
- Agenzia Forestale Regionale (AFOR)
- Ministero dell'Interno / Vigili del Fuoco (CNVVF)
- FRAUNHOFER GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FÖRDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG EV (IVI)
- PPI - PREPARED INTERNATIONAL UG (Haftungsbeschränkt)
- Landratsamt Görlitz (LGR)
- Deutsches Rotes Kreuz Landesverband Sachsen eV (DRK)
- Câmara Municipal de Lisboa (CML)
- Particle Summary (PART)
- Associação Humanitária de Bombeiros Voluntários de Linda-a-Pastora (AHBV)
- KUNGLIGA TEKNISKA HÖGSKOLAN (KTH)
- Region Örebro Län (ROL)
- UNIVERSITY OF GREENWICH (UoG)
- Pinepeak Ltd
- D.M.A.T. CONSULTING KG
Funding: European Union’s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme (Grant Agreement No. 101309523)
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