The Azores Regional Civil Protection and Fire Service (SRPCBA) organises the "Bull 2017" drill between November 20 and 24, involving over half a thousand people. It aims to provide training to the operational structures of different entities overseeing Civil Protection matters in the event of an earthquake situation.
 
This drill, included in the annual plan of SRPCBA drills, will assess the actions to be taken in case of several occurrences in accordance with the skills and powers of participating entities.
 
The drill will be carried out for 36 hours. It includes simulated calls made by citizens for assistance as well as various disaster scenarios in an earthquake situation, including destroyed houses, obstructed roads, emergency evacuation of the population, mission persons, among other incidents.
 
The drill will take place at the old Pronicol factory in Angra do Heroísmo in a large-scale and multi-victim scenario. Moreover, the actions involving collapse, fire and explosion scenarios will be carried out at the facilities of SRPCBA Training Centre.
 
All Civil Protection agents will be involved in this drill, namely the fire brigades from Angra do Heroísmo, Praia da Vitória and other Central Group islands as well as a fire brigade from Madeira, at the invitation of SRPCBA.
 
In addition to firefighters, the "Bull 2017" drill will involve the Regional Directorates for Health, Tourism, Public Works and Communications, Housing, Environment and Forest Resources as well as the Regional Civil Engineering Laboratory, the Azores Social Security Institute and the Information and Seismovolcanic Surveillance of the Azores.
 
The two municipal councils of Terceira Island will also be involved in the activity, through their Civil Protection services, in addition to PSP (Public Security Police), GNR (National Security Guard), radio amateur associations from Terceira and the Azores Operational Command through its different branches