National USAR Coordination Course-Panama

An USAR National Coordination Course was held in Panama from 6 to 10 March. This course aims to strengthen the National USAR system in terms of coordination between the National Civil Protection System and the National USAR response groups. A total of 33 participants from the National Civil Protection System (SINAPROC), the Panamanian Red Cross, the Panamanian Fire Brigade, the Social Security Fund and the National Border Service (SENAFRONT) attended the course.

URGENT – Notice to all USAR teams that responded to Türkiye and Syria Earthquakes – Reports of Asbestos Contamination

To all USAR Team Leaders and Representatives,

This message from the INSARAG Secretariat on behalf of NED-01 USAR.NL is to notify you of reported asbestos contamination found on the equipment of the NED-01 team.

NED-01, in their standard post-mission procedures during and after their deployment to Antakaya, Turkiye, have tested and sampled their equipment, clothing, and tents for asbestos contamination. The samples showed moderate decontamination with actinolite. On some samples, slight decontamination with chrysotile was also detected.

NED-01 will decontaminate the equipment involved under professional supervision. They will also notify the current users of their base of operations, which was handed over to Oxfam-Novib for the broader humanitarian relief effort. NED-01 was, due to the lack of raw water, not able to fully fulfil its regular decontamination procedures in the first days of its mission. Hence the contamination was able to spread further than normal.

As it cannot be ruled out that other teams have experienced the same.

The INSARAG Secretariat urges all teams to thoroughly conduct post-mission procedures and consider testing for asbestos contamination if this is not already part of your standard protocol. Decontamination should be carried out under professional supervision.

Preparatory Course for Members of the National Accreditation and Reaccreditation Process for USAR Light Teams – El Salvador

This preparatory course took place from 30 January to 3 February for members of the USAR National Accreditation and Reaccreditation Process in El Salvador. The objective of this course was to strengthen the national capacities of the members of the USAR National Accreditation Process (NAP) and the members of the USAR National Technical Accreditation Committee (CTAN). Overall, this course hosted 25 participants from the General Directorate of Civil Protection (DGPC), the Health Solidarity Fund (FOSALUD), the National Fire Department, the Ministry of Justice, the National Civil Police and the National Academy of Public Security (ANSP).

ASIA-PACIFIC REGIONAL GROUP MEETING 2022

2022 INSARAG Asia-Pacific Meeting Summary 26 to 27 October 2022 – LINK

Annex A _ Asia-Pacific Meeting Agenda – LINK

Annex B _ Asia-Pacific Meeting List of Participants – LINK

Annex  C _ Asia-Pacific Meeting consolidated PPT – LINK

ASIA-PACIFIC REGIONAL GROUP MEETING 2021

2021 INSARAG Asia-Pacific Meeting Summary 01 to 02 September 2021 – LINK

Annex A _ Asia-Pacific Meeting Agenda – LINK

Annex B _ Asia-Pacific Meeting List of Participants – LINK

Annex  C _ Asia-Pacific Meeting consolidated PPT – LINK

National USAR Coordination Workshop-Honduras

A theoretical and practical workshop on National USAR coordination was held in Honduras from 24 to 26 January. The objective of the workshop included the review of national USAR coordination protocols/procedures as well as the use of coordination and information management tools available to National USAR groups, and a small-scale Earthquake Response Exercise simulating a 6.5 magnitude earthquake in Tegucigalpa to test national protocols. Participating institutions include the Secretary of State in the Offices of Risk Management and National Contingencies (COPECO), Honduran Fire Department, Honduran Red Cross, Honduran Armed Forces and several observers.

REGIONAL GROUP MEETING 2021 (PERU)

La XX Reunión del Grupo Regional de INSARAG y VIII Reunión Regional de Consulta UNDAC en las Américas se realizó del 14 al 16 de setiembre de 2021 en módulos de tres horas cada una. Se llevó a cabo de manera virtual utilizando la plataforma de teleconferencias del Instituto Nacional de Defensa Civil y el servicio de interpretación simultánea al inglés y al español con apoyo de PNUD y USAID.
Participaron 79 representantes de 15 países de la región y otras organizaciones.
La agenda incluyó informes de actividades realizadas en el año y proyecciones para el 2022 tanto para el plan de trabajo de INSARAG como de UNDAC en la región, la Coordinación Nacional USAR, los procesos de acreditación nacional (NAP/IRNAP), el sistema de coordinación INSARAG (ICMS), lecciones aprendidas de misiones UNDAC, información sobre la Reunión Global de INSARAG y la Declaración de Varsovia, y el traspaso a la Mesa Directiva Regional INSARAG para 2022.

Relatoría de la Reunión Regional / Chairman Summary