Author: Digital Services

Flexible Response Working Group

Background Information

In the last few years, humanitarian emergencies have been strongly impacted by climate change. Additionally, due to the challenges imposed by the pandemic, the humanitarian landscape has become even more complex. Therefore, there have been increasing discussions on ways to effectively deploy INSARAG teams in disasters beyond those strictly involving collapsed structures. Those events can often be caused by hydrometeorological and climatological reasons which could make INSARAG teams’ skills extremely relevant, such as specialized capacities for water rescue and flood disaster response.

Given the significant resources and costs associated with the establishment and maintenance of certified USAR teams as well as of their deployments, it is reasonable to explore ways on how to best maximize these professional life-saving resources of USAR teams under the INSARAG’s umbrella, and through global consultations with the three regional groups of INSARAG.

INSARAG has proved to remain flexible and effective despite the challenges of the pandemic and amidst a complex humanitarian environment. The FRWG will aim to contribute to the INSARAG network to continue being relevant and nimble despite the new challenges. The INSARAG network will be strengthened as a result of the review and further development of the Flexible Response concept, the strengthening of teams’ deployments in the BtR phase including the DACC concept and INSARAG’s role in response to affected areas where cultural heritage sites exist. 

Composition

The FRWG is composed of three Sub-Working Groups with respective assignments:

  1. Sub-WG A Global Position with 19 members, will develop a global INSARAG position on Flexible (Operational) Response, based on the drafted Regional Position Papers on this topic in 2020. The scope of the global position on Flexible Response can also encompass the response beyond collapsed structures and earthquakes, as some regions have already implemented this successfully.
  2. Sub-WG B Disasters Assessment Coordination Center (DACC) with 22, members will develop the Damage Assessment Coordination Centre (DACC) guidelines and methodology.
  3. Sub-WG C Cultural Heritage with 10 members, will review the draft UNESCO Guidelines on Response to Cultural Heritage and draft an INSARAG Technical Guidance Note on “INSARAG’s Response to Cultural Heritage Sites”.

FRWG OV Co-Chairs and SubWG Co-Chairs

NameCountryRegionRoleContact
Paolo VaccariItalyEurope (AEME)OV Co Chair[email protected]
Paul BaxterAustraliaAsia-PacificOV Co Chair[email protected]
Thomas ZeiterSwitzerlandEurope (AEME)Sub-WG A
Co Chair		[email protected]
Otty RusinarsetyoIndonesiaAsia-PacificSub-WG A
Co Chair		[email protected]
Solveig ThorvaldsdottirIcelandEurope (AEME)Sub-WG B
Co Chair		[email protected]
Joshua MacabuagUK/SARAIDEurope (AEME)Sub-WG B
Co Chair		[email protected]
Jing WangChinaAsia-PacificSub-WG C
Co Chair		[email protected]
Aparna TandonUNESCO-ICCROM–Sub-WG C
Co Chair		[email protected]

Meeting Summaries:

Chairman Summary of the Meeting with the entire Flexible Response Working Group (FRWG), Friday 17th September, available on this LINK

Key Documents:

Draft ToR – Flexible Response WG, available on this LINK.

Final List of Participants, available on this LINK

Annex A: INSARAG New-Year Teleconference Chairman’s Summary (includes Summary of regional positions on Flexible Response)

Annex B: Draft UNESCO Field Guidelines for USAR at Heritage SitesFor Annex C: Draft FRWG Timeline

Medical Technical Reference Library

The INSARAG Technical Guidance Notes provide non-binding guidance to USAR teams beyond what is specified as minimum requirements by the INSARAG Guidelines. These Technical Guidance Notes are prepared by the INSARAG working groups and then endorsed by the INSARAG Steering Group. Please note that these Technical Guidance Notes are not parts of the INSARAG Guidelines, they are only good practices and recommendations. They are not the expectations from INSARAG member USAR teams or those USAR teams that undergo the INSARAG External Classification (IEC) process.

Medical Guidance Notes:

  1. Amputations and Dismemberment – Link – endorsed in 2023
  2. Identification of USAR Medical Personnel – Link – endorsed in 2011
  3. Post Mission Medical Reporting – Link – endorsed in 2011
  4. Provision of Medical Care in an Austere Environment Specifically in a Confined Space – Link – endorsed in 2011
  5. Recovery of Deceased During USAR Operations – Link – endorsed in 2011
  6. The Donation of Medical Supplies and Equipment Prior to Demobilisation – Link – endorsed in 2011
  7. The Medical Management of the Entrapped Patient with Crush Syndrome – Link – endorsed in 2023
  8. Patient Treatment Record – Link – endorsed in 2012
  9. Urban Search and Rescue in Extreme Environmental Conditions – Link – endorsed in 2014
  10. INSARAG Injury and Illness Log – Link – endorsed in 2019
  11. Template Letter requesting Ability to Practice USAR Medicine – Link – endorsed in 2019
  12. INSARAG Patient Treatment Form – Link – endorsed in October 2019

Medical Guidance Note – Defining USAR Medicine – Link

MWG Covid-19 USAR Response Technical Reference Note – Link

Guidelines Review Group

The INSARAG Guidelines remain a living document and will be subject to an ongoing process of development to improve and document the way we respond to save lives in major natural disasters like earthquakes, or building collapses in other disasters.

This is achieved through a regular five-year review cycle led by the INSARAG Guidelines Review Group (GRG), which aims to facilitate continuous improvement in classified teams. The INSARAG Steering Group (ISG) recognizes the importance of maintaining knowledge and process continuity between the 5-yearly GRG reviews.

The 2023 GRG is co-chaired by John Cawcutt (Australia) and Martin Evers (the Netherlands).

Guidelines Review Group 2023-2025
  Name CountryRegionPositionEmail
1Martin EversNetherlandsAEMECo-chair[email protected]
2John CawcuttAustraliaAsia-PacificCo-chair[email protected]
3Li LiChinaAsia-PacificMember [email protected]
4Safrizan Bin SuhainiMalaysiaAsia-PacificMember [email protected]
5Wee Keong LokSingaporeAsia-PacificMember [email protected]; [email protected]
6Sara RathbunUSAAmericasMember [email protected]
7Patricio FuentesChileAmericasMember [email protected]
8Martin PavekCzech RepublicAEMEMember [email protected] 
9Emmanuel ChapeauFranceAEMEMember [email protected]
10Yvonne GutmannGermanyAEMEMember [email protected]
11Ciro BologneseItalyAEMEMember [email protected]
12Fahad SultanQatarAEMEMember [email protected]
13Ove SislakNorwayAEMEMember [email protected]
14Belit TasdemirTurkiyeAEMEMember [email protected]
 15Peter WolffGermanyAEMERepresentative of IMWG[email protected]

Link to Draft Terms of Reference, to be endorsed by the ISG in April 2023

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2025 Working Groups and Team Leaders Meeting in Tunis: Minutes

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2024 Meeting in Marmaris: Minutes

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2023 Online Meeting

Final-Minutes-of-QATAR-GRG-Meeting-October-2023-3Download

Access Uncovered- Mozambique

After Cyclone Idai ripped through Mozambique, entire communities were surrounded by water. Humanitarians did everything they could to save lives and provide vital assistance. Link

Asia-Pacific Training

Asia Pacific Earthquake Response Exercise 2023

INSARAG Asia Pacific Earthquake Response Exercise 2023 hosted by the Australian government from 21-25 August 2023 in Brisbane, Australia. The exercise organizers were the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES), Fire and Rescue New South Wales (FRNSW), and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The objective of the exercise was to practice the INSARAG methodology with national and international responding organizations, having 330 participants from all relevant national government agencies as well as international USAR, EMT, UNDAC members, and MapAction. This exercise was designed to consist of two separate streams. The first stream is dedicated to National Response Coordination to go through the procedure of accepting international assistance, while the second stream is focused on coordination of the international response teams and activities to allow both national and international participants to practice the international deployment cycle with comprehensive and realistic scenario of Australia.