Our Search and Rescue Team is Now Operational
05-06-2024
As Deniz Feneri Association, we have stood by our citizens affected by disasters in our country, providing shelter, soup kitchens, and food distribution in all necessary areas. With the establishment of our Search and Rescue team, we are now expanding our scope of intervention. We are training our teams to play a more active role and to conduct professional and effective interventions during the critical first 72 hours, known as the golden hours, in disaster areas.
Mr. İbrahim Topal, the Disaster and Field Director of Deniz Feneri Association, who has played a significant role in the establishment of our Search and Rescue team, answered our questions regarding the process and functioning of our team. Here are his responses:
What is the primary goal of the search and rescue project?
"In these times when disasters frequently occur both globally and in our country, whether it be earthquakes caused by the movement of the earth's crust or floods due to climate change, large areas of life are disrupted, and thousands of lives are lost. Our country has experienced many major earthquakes and continues to face the reality of the anticipated great Istanbul earthquake. The recent February 6, 2023, earthquake, with magnitudes of 7.7 and 7.6, centered in Pazarcık, K.Maraş, known as the disaster of the century, caused massive destruction in 11 provinces, leading to thousands of our citizens losing their lives under the rubble. Survivors trapped under the debris, whose voices were heard by their relatives, waited desperately for search and rescue teams to arrive.
As the Deniz Feneri family, from the first day of the earthquake, we stood by our citizens in areas such as shelter, soup kitchens, food, and clothing. However, the most fundamental need of our citizens trapped under the rubble in the first hours of the disaster was the immediate rescue of their loved ones. Right after the disaster, we witnessed scenes where thousands of people, whose mothers, fathers, siblings, spouses, or children were trapped under the rubble, struggled to reach them, alive or deceased. For this reason, as the Deniz Feneri humanitarian aid association, we decided to establish a search and rescue team to prepare our volunteers for disasters, to intervene more professionally as a team, and to reach more lives within the first 72 hours, known as the golden hours, immediately after the disaster.
In which areas will the teams be trained?
Our Search and Rescue teams are trained to intervene correctly and quickly when they first arrive in disaster areas. In addition to training specific to earthquakes, floods, and fires, they will also receive training in areas such as nature, urban, and underwater search and rescue. This way, they will be able to effectively operate in any disaster situation.
Where will the training take place?
"Mountain search and rescue training will begin in a classroom setting and then continue in challenging terrain conditions, reinforced with drill scenarios. Urban search and rescue training will be provided at AFAD training centers and specially created debris areas. Our training programs are planned considering the various situations volunteers might encounter post-disaster, ensuring that our fully equipped search and rescue teams will be ready for duty upon completion."
