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9 Eur. J. Sec. Rsch. 1 (2024)

handle is hein.journals/eupnjfos9 and id is 1 raw text is: European Journal for Security Research (2024) 9:1-3 https://doi.org/l 0.1007/s41125-024-00104-x EDITORIAL Editorial Sandra Maria Pichler' - Stefan Kaufmann2 Published online: 26 November 2024 ŠThe Author(s) 2024 In the context of the numerous and complex crises, catastrophes and emergencies that have emerged in the twenty-first century, there has been a notable shift in the conceptualisations, understandings and practices that characterise the security sector at all levels. This issue addresses such transformations in two distinct domains. One domain is the preparation for emergencies and crises, which is becoming increas- ingly intensive and specialised. There is an increasing tendency towards the pro- fessionalisation, standardisation and scientification of preparedness practices. This issue comprises three articles which collectively address the evaluation of emer- gency exercises. Such exercises have traditionally constituted a standard component of the activities of emergency organisations, such as firefighters and medical rescue services. A wholly distinct domain is that of political and strategic orientation. In this domain, the geopolitical transformations underway as well as the war in Ukraine are giving rise to new forms and patterns of European collaboration. This is outlined by the article on the European Peace Facility in the current issue. Exercises have become an indispensable component of preparedness for emer- gencies and disasters. They have become institutionalized on a broad scale, for example, in the form of practical guidelines and legal frameworks. There is a con- sensus among researchers and practitioners that exercises are of great value for emergency and disaster response, assuming a range of beneficial effects on the ele- ments being tested. Exercises provide an invaluable platform for training and testing procedures, structures, and equipment. They facilitate the identification of strengths and shortcomings at the individual, organisational, and system levels, and they enhance learning and development. At the individual level, emergency respond- ers have the opportunity to incorporate enactment-based knowledge and become accustomed to emergency situations that do not occur regularly. Moreover, exercises provide opportunities to cultivate relationships between and among organisations, E Stefan Kaufmann stefan.kaufmann@css.uni-freiburg.de Sandra Maria Pichler sandra.pichler@dcna.at Disaster Competence Network Austria, Technische Universitat Graz, Graz, Austria 2 Centre for Security and Society, Institute for Sociology, Universitat Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany eSpringer