International rescue exercise “Talos 2026” brings six European teams to Crete
An international search and rescue exercise named “Talos 2026 – The Guardians of Crete” began in Crete on Friday, October 30, and is scheduled to run through Sunday, November 1, with support from the Region of Crete. The exercise was organized by the humanitarian crisis management group EPIDRASIS in cooperation with volunteer rescue teams from several European countries.
Heraklion Deputy Regional Governor Nikos Syrigonakis welcomed the participating teams on Friday at the Region’s new building in M. Kardiotissis, ahead of operations in various locations across the island.
According to the organizers, six European rescue teams are taking part: two from Malta, two from Romania, one from Hungary, and one from Cyprus. The teams bring different operational specialties, including urban and semi-urban search and rescue, mountain rescue, and emergency incident management. K9 Search & Rescue units with trained rescue dogs are also participating, adding what organizers described as particular operational value to the training.
Local volunteer Civil Protection teams from Crete are taking part alongside the European groups, according to their specialties and operational capabilities. Organizers said this creates an opportunity for cooperation, experience exchange, and strengthening the operational readiness of the island’s volunteer rescue network — work that echoes recent rescue operations on the island, including the search for a Polish family lost in a Rethymno gorge and the rescue of an injured tourist near the Imbros Gorge.
Dimitris Steiakakis, president of EPIDRASIS in Crete, said the exercise will take place in the Keri forest, near Archanes, and will conclude at large supermarket warehouses in Gazi.
Steiakakis said that hosting an international exercise of this scale in Crete is a significant opportunity, as it strengthens the island’s international presence in civil protection and humanitarian response, builds a cooperation network among European rescue teams that could be used in real emergencies, and upgrades the operational readiness of local agencies and volunteers through joint training and knowledge exchange. He added that it also highlights Crete’s capacity to host and support international civil protection activities.
In a statement, Deputy Regional Governor Syrigonakis said hosting an international civil protection exercise in Crete, with the participation of volunteer rescue teams from European countries, is an important initiative with multiple benefits for the island. He said such actions strengthen Crete’s international presence in civil protection and humanitarian work while building cooperation and knowledge-sharing links between rescue teams. He added that the Region of Crete and Regional Governor Stavros Arnaoutakis support initiatives that enhance outreach, cooperation, and operational readiness, saying that “the protection of human life knows no borders and requires joint effort, coordination, solidarity and continuous training.”
