TEHRAN – Tehran Disaster Mitigation and Management Organization is hosting an international Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) course, which kicked off on Monday and will conclude on Thursday.

Representatives from Tehran Fire Department and Safety Services Organization, and Tehran Disaster Mitigation and Management Organization (TDMMO) are participating in the course.

Instructors from the Emergency Situations and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters of the Russian Federation (EMERCOM) are providing training discussions online, Mehr news agency reported.

The course covers topics such as the history, methodology, objectives, and structure of the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG), the five principles of assessment, the search and rescue process, key actions at each stage, documents and forms required by USAR teams, ethical considerations, and the INSARAG external classification.

The head of TDMMO, Ali Nasiri, has expressed optimism that the current training course will lay the ground for Iran’s membership in INSARAG. So far, more than 70 organizations from 90 countries have succeeded in joining INSARAG.

Upon completion of the current course, instructors from the INSARAG secretariat and EMERCOM will hold an in-person coordination (UC) course in Tehran in the current Iranian month (April 21- May 21), Nasiri added.

A simulation exercise (SIMEX) and a 36-hour full-scale exercise (Full Scale) are also scheduled to be conducted in Tehran, and the country is set to achieve international classification in 2026.

Tehran crisis management team attends INSARAG course

TDMO team represented Iran in the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) training course, conducted in cooperation with the Emergency Situations and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters of the Russian Federation (EMERCOM) and United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The specialized training course aimed at improving coordination and command in international search and rescue operations, focusing on the Incident Command Management System (ICMS). It was held at the Academy of GPS of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia, ILNA reported on April 15.

Instructors from Armenia, Brazil, and Turkey taught participants about coordinating and managing international search and rescue operations with the help of specialized software. They also got acquainted with the principles of the data collection and processing system over the course of a week.

Moreover, operation teams were taught how to quickly send information from the emergency site to international search and rescue coordination centers via smartphone or similar devices.

In the ICMS, information is processed, summarized, and used to collaborate with the authorities of the affected country on deciding priority areas to receive relief and rescue services.

Designed based on INSARAG standards, ICMS is currently used by internationally certified teams and has been deployed in relief missions in various countries, including Lebanon, Libya, Turkey, Morocco, Thailand, and Myanmar.

In March 2024, the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) and Tehran Fire Department were assessed by the INSARAG and EMERCOM.

The initial assessment mission was held from March 9 to 14 to achieve international classification according to the INSARAG standards.

Capacity building is at the heart of INSARAG, and the EMERCOM of the Russian Federation, as a member of the INSARAG network, agreed to provide its technical expertise to support this initiative, the UN Website announced in a press release on March 19.

Throughout the week-long mission, INSARAG and EMERCOM representatives met with Iranian officials and visited the Relief and Rescue Center of IRCS and the Training Center of Tehran Fire Department.

The mission was initiated in response to a request from Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was facilitated by the Tehran Disaster Mitigation and Management Organization on behalf of the National Disaster Management Organization (NDMO).

This mission established a roadmap for the remaining steps ahead of the completion of the classification process. 

MT/MG