UN - Organisation
USAR Team JCD
Medical Unit
2011
Béatrice CRETTENAND PECORINI
USAR Advisor – Paramedic Instructor – CRNA
UN – OCHA
United Nations Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affaires
OCHA is responsible for bringing together
humanitarian actors to ensure a coherent response to
emergencies. The aim is to assist people when they
most need relief or protection. A key pillar of the
OCHA mandate is to “coordinate effective and
principled humanitarian action in partnership with
national and international actors”.
UNDAC
United Nations Disaster Assessment and
Coordination
UNDAC is designed to help the United Nations and
governments of disaster-affected countries during the
first phase of a sudden-onset emergency. UNDAC
also assists in the coordination of incoming
international relief at national level and/or at the site
of the emergency.
OSOCC
On-Site Operations Coordination Centre
An OSOCC is set up to help local authorities (LEMA :
Local Emergency Management Authority) in a
disaster-affected country to coordinate international
relief. Following a disaster, the OSOCC is established
as soon as possible by the first arriving
international urban search-and-rescue team or United
Nations Disaster Assessement and Coordination
team deployed by OCHA.
RDC
Reception Departure Centre
In many disasters there is a need to establish a
Reception Departure Centre (RDC) as a part of the
OSOCC. The RDC should be located at the arrival
point of international relief teams and relief items to
facilitate and coordinate their arrival and further
deployment.
The RDC functions as a coordinating body
for international relief traffic. It is intended to support
the airport authorities with these activities.
INSARAG (1/2)
International Search and Rescue Advisory
Group
INSARAG is mandated to:
• Render emergency preparedness and response
activities more effective and thereby save more lives,
reduce
suffering
and
minimize
adverse
consequences.
• Improve
efficiency
in
cooperation
among
international USAR teams working in collapsed
structures at a disaster site.
INSARAG (2/2)
International Search and Rescue Advisory
Group
• Promote activities designed to improve search-andrescue preparedness in disaster-prone countries,
thereby prioritizing developing countries.
• Develop internationally accepted procedures and
systems for sustained cooperation between national
USAR teams operating on the international scene.
• Develop USAR procedures, guidelines and best
practices, and strengthen cooperation between
interested organizations during the emergency relief
phase.
MWG
Medical Working Group
1th of September 2010
Additional F 11 Medical Care
INSARAG
External Classifications
The INSARAG community acknowledges the
importance of providing rapid, professional USAR
support during disasters that result in structural
collapse. To achieve this objective, INSARAG has
developed a voluntary, independent peer review
process of international USAR teams - the INSARAG
External Classification (IEC). According to their
operational capabilities, USAR teams deploying
internationally are classified as "Medium Teams"
or "Heavy Teams" through the IEC process.
INSARAG USAR teams
INSARAG USAR teams are required to consist of five
key components:
1. Management
2. Logistic
3. Search
4. Rescue
5. Medical
Heavy USAR Teams (1/3)
A Heavy USAR team comprises the five
components required by the INSARAG Guidelines,
Management, Logistics, Search, Rescue and
Medical.
Heavy USAR teams have the operational capability
for complex technical search and rescue operations
in collapsed or failed structures, particularly those
involving structures reinforced and/or built with
structural steel.
Heavy USAR Teams (2/3)
The main differences between a Heavy Team and a
Medium Team are as follows:
• A Heavy USAR team is required to have the
equipment and manpower to work at a Heavy
technical capability at two separate work-sites
simultaneously (10 IEC Guidelines, 2011 Edition)
• A Heavy USAR team is required to have both a
search dog and technical search capability;
Heavy USAR Teams (3/3)
• A Heavy USAR team is required to have the
technical capability to cut structural steel typically
used for construction and reinforcement in multistorey structures;
• A Heavy USAR team must be able to conduct
Heavy rigging and lifting operations and
• A Heavy USAR team must be adequately staffed
and logistically sufficient to allow for 24 hour
operations at 2 independent sites for up to 10 days.