EXERCISE LONGREACH 26 | FINAL DAY – NEOC COMMAND POST EXERCISE – AUGUST 27, 2026

Effective disaster response begins long before a disaster occurs. The final day of Exercise LONGREACH 26 brought Samoa’s emergency response agencies together at Lava Hotel, Apia, to test national systems, coordination, communication, and decision-making through a realistic National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) Command Post Exercise.

The final day placed particular emphasis on the practical application of Samoa’s National Tsunami Response Plan. Through a series of realistic scenario injects, participating agencies worked through evolving emergency situations, requiring timely information-sharing, coordinated decision-making, and the effective implementation of established emergency management procedures.

The exercise commenced with an overview of the NEOC Guidelines and National Emergency Response Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), before progressing into a sustained operational simulation. The exercise culminated in a formal Disaster Advisory Committee (DAC) meeting, providing participants with an opportunity to simulate the role of the DAC in operational decision-making, including ensuring effective coordination of the disaster response, providing appropriate recommendations to the National Disaster Council (NDC) or Cabinet, and implementing the resulting directives.

The three-day programme concluded with a Closing Ceremony, featuring remarks from the Acting Chief Executive Officer for MNRE, Afioga Moafanua Tolusina Pouli, and recognition of the collective efforts of participating agencies and donor partners in ensuring the successful delivery of Exercise LONGREACH 26.

The successful completion of Exercise LONGREACH 26 reflects the value of strong communication, coordination, and partnerships in strengthening national preparedness and building a safer and more resilient Samoa.

The Ministry acknowledges and sincerely thanks the Australian High Commission’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), the Australian Defence Force (ADF), the Australian Civil-Military Centre (ACMC), Headquarters 1st (Australian) Division, the Pacific Response Group (PRG), and all participating national agencies and partners for their collaboration, commitment, and continued support towards strengthening Samoa’s disaster preparedness and resilience.

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚗𝚎𝚡𝚝 𝙴𝚡𝚎𝚛𝚌𝚒𝚜𝚎 𝙻𝙾𝙽𝙶𝚁𝙴𝙰𝙲𝙷 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚂𝚊𝚖𝚘𝚊 𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚎𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟾 – 𝙴𝚡𝚎𝚛𝚌𝚒𝚜𝚎 𝙻𝙾𝙽𝙶𝚁𝙴𝙰𝙲𝙷 𝟸𝟾.