TEHRAN — The Iranian Red Crescent Society’s Rescue and Relief Organization will join the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG), the organization’s deputy director Shahin Fat’hi has said. 

INSARAG is a global network of more than 80 countries and organizations under the United Nations umbrella. INSARAG deals with urban search and rescue (USAR) related issues, aiming to establish minimum international standards for USAR teams and methodology for international coordination in earthquake response based on the INSARAG Guidelines.

In a collaborative attempt between the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Iran office, the National Disaster Management Organization, and the Embassy of Austria and with regard to the overriding need for training urban search and rescue teams the first training program is underway at managerial levels in Iran, ISNA quoted Fat’hi as saying on Saturday.

Over the 4-day programs some 45 managers at Iranian Red Crescent Society, National Disaster Management Organization, and fire department will receive trainings, he added.

Three Austrian trainers will teach urban search and rescue concepts to the participators, he highlighted. 

He also said that joining INSARAG would make it easier for Iranian rescue and relief teams to run rescue operations abroad and also rescue and relief teams from other countries can help Iran should a disaster occur.

The INSARAG’s primary purpose is to facilitate coordination between the various international USAR teams who make themselves available for deployment to countries experiencing devastating events of structural collapse due primarily to earthquakes. 

The group achieves such coordination through facilitating opportunities for communication between these groups ahead of such events. These meetings of teams have resulted in many practical agreements between them that have streamlined working together during actual disasters.

MQ/MG