About the DARE Project
The goal of DARE is to address the interoperability gap in cross-country support for extreme wildfire and flood events by defining comprehensive response guidelines and harmonizing the competencies and knowledge of emergency crews across different countries in Europe. Additionally, DARE will develop an open source dashboard for enhanced information sharing.
Background
Europe faces an increasing number of large-scale disasters, both natural and man-made, that demand cross-border coordination and rapid deployment of emergency resources. However, disparities in national command structures, technical standards, and operational procedures continue to hinder interoperability and the efficiency of the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM).
The DARE project (Deployment And engagement of Resources and citizens for European Emergency Response) addresses these challenges by fostering a harmonised approach to European emergency response. It builds upon lessons learned from recent flood and wildfire events across Europe and capitalises on the outcomes of major EU initiatives such as DRIVER+, FIRE-IN, SAFERS, and Firelogue. Through a multi-actor collaboration involving research institutions, civil protection authorities, NGOs, and training centres, DARE will advance Europe’s collective capability to respond effectively to transnational emergencies.
Project Objectives
DARE’s overarching objective is to enhance interoperability, situational awareness, and citizen engagement in European disaster response. The project will develop a secure, open-source Dashboard integrating real-time data from multiple sources, satellite imagery, hazard monitoring systems, and citizen inputs, to support informed decision-making for both local and international responders. This platform will include a public layer to enable volunteer mobilisation and multilingual communication, leveraging AI and large language models.
DARE will co-create harmonised Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Command and Control practices through comparative analyses, workshops, and cross-country trials, aiming to strengthen mutual understanding and operational readiness. The initiative aspires to go beyond the state of the art by transforming research into practical tools and methodologies that reinforce resilience, improve coordination between first responders and citizens, and accelerate the uptake of innovation in crisis management across Europe. Ultimately, DARE seeks to serve as a flagship model for an integrated, citizen-inclusive, and technologically advanced European emergency response framework.
Contact the Project
For media queries, contact:
Maria Carolan
EU Project Manager, Carr Communications
For project-related queries, contact:
Dr. Claudia Berchtold
Coordinator – Sustainable Transformation and Risk Reduction
Fraunhofer Institute for Technological Trend Analysis INT
Appelsgarten 2
53879 Euskirchen, Germany
Dr. Sebastian Wagner
Senior Researcher – Data and Knowledge Management
Fraunhofer Institute for Technological Trend Analysis INT
Appelsgarten 2
53879 Euskirchen, Germany