27 November 2012
by Daniel R. Riedel, German Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW)

On 12 January 2010 the earth on Haiti shook for 60 seconds. The magnitude was a 7.0 M (depth of 17 km) on the Richter scale, with an epic centre near the town of Leogane, approximately 25 km west of
Port-au-Prince, Haiti‘s capital. By 24 January at least 52 aftershocks
4.5 M or greater had been recorded. An estimated three million
people were affected by the quake.
The impact was devastating: More than 200,000 people died, thousands were injured, hundreds of thousands became homeless. The government of Haiti estimated that 25,000 residences and 30,000
commercial buildings had collapsed or were severely damaged.
One day after the earthquake THW (German Federal Agency for
Technical Relief) started its humanitarian mission.
Buried persons have a chance to survive within the first 120 hours (depending on climatic and personal health condition factors)!

www.thw.de
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The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku was a magnitude
9.0 M undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately
70 kilometres east of the Oshika Peninsula of Tōhoku and the hypocenter at an underwater depth of approximately 32 km. It was the most powerful known earthquake ever to have hit Japan, and one
of the five most powerful earthquakes in the world since modern record-keeping began in 1900.
The earthquake triggered powerful Tsunami waves that reached heights of up to 40.5 metres and which, in the Sendai area, travelled
up to 10 km inland.
The Tsunami caused a number of nuclear accidents, primarily the ongoing level 7 meltdowns at three reactors in the Fukushima I
Nuclear Power Plant complex. At least three nuclear reactors suffered explosions after cooling system failure. Residents within a 20 km radius of the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant and a 10 km radius of the
Fukushima II Nuclear Power Plant were evacuated.

The Japanese National Police
Agency confirmed 15,844
deaths, 5,890 injured and
3,451 people missing across eighteen prefectures, as well as over 125,000 buildings damaged or
destroyed. The earthquake and tsunami caused extensive and severe structural damage in Japan, including heavy damage to roads and railways as well as fires in many areas, and a dam collapse.
Around 4.4 million
households in northeastern
Japan were left without
electricity and 1.5 million
without water.

*United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
*European Union, Mission Information Centre

OCHA is the part of the United Nations Secretariat responsible for bringing together humanitarian actors to ensure a coherent response to emergencies. OCHA also ensures there is a framework within which each actor can contribute to the overall response effort. From 35 offices around the world some 1,900 staff members ensure that effective assistance reaches millions of humanitarian beneficiaries in four continents.
OCHA's mission is to:
 Mobilize and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors in order to alleviate human suffering in disasters and emergencies.
 Advocate the rights of people in need.
 Promote preparedness and prevention.
 Facilitate sustainable solutions.
Learn more about UN OCHA at: www.unocha.org

For 2011, OCHA has a programme and administrative budget
of US$242 million. Due to its specific mandate, 70 per
cent of OCHA’s budget is staff costs.
Donors to OCHA are grouped in an informal OCHA Donor
Support Group (ODSG). They provide financial, political and technical support towards fulfilling OCHA’s mandated coordination activities. The group currently comprises Australia,
Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany,
Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand (Chair), the
Netherlands, Norway, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation,
Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, United
Kingdom, United States and the European Commission.

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OCHA plays a key role in operational coordination in crisis situations. This includes assessing situations and needs; agreeing common priorities; developing common strategies to address issues such as negotiating access, mobilizing funding and other resources; clarifying consistent public messaging; and monitoring progress. OCHA also administers the cluster coordination system for the Humanitarian Coordinator, including meetings, data and information management, and reporting.
Coordination Tools:
 Surge Capacity
 INSARAG
 UNDAC
 OSOCC & RDC
 Logistics Support
 Humanitarian Civil-Military Coordination
 Needs Assessment
 Environmental Emergencies

The International Search and Rescue Advisory Group is a network of disaster-prone and disaster-responding countries and organizations dedicated to urban search and rescue (USAR) and operational field coordination. INSARAG was established in
1991 following initiatives of international SAR teams that responded to the 1988 Armenia earthquake.
The Field Coordination Support Section (FCSS), located within OCHA Geneva's Emergency Services Branch (ESB), functions as the INSARAG secretariat and facilitates international participation and coordination.

 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.
 Promote activities designed to improve search-and-rescue 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.
Find INSARAG Guidelines at: http://ochanet.unocha.org/p/Documents/INSARAG%20Guidelines%202011-Latest.pdf

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. This ensures that qualified and appropriate USAR resources are deployed accordingly. Between
2005 and 2010, 21 international teams have been successfully classified.
Find INSARAG External Classification /
Reclassification Guidelines at: http://ochanet.unocha.org/p/Documents/INSARAG
%20External%20Classification-
Reclassification%20Guidelines-2011.pdf

INSARAG
Regional Groups
(Africa-Europe-Middle East;
Americas; Asia-Pacific)
Secretariat (Field Coordination Support Section in ESB,
OCHA Geneva)
Steering Group

United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC)
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. UNDAC teams can deploy at short notice (12-48 hours) anywhere in the world.
Assessment, coordination and information management are UNDAC's core mandates in an emergency response mission. Specifically in response to earthquakes, UNDAC teams set up and manage the On-Site Operations Coordination
Centre (OSOCC) to help coordinate international Urban
Search and Rescue (USAR) teams responding to the disaster essential if USAR assistance is to function effectively.
Find UNDAC Handbook at: http://ochanet.unocha.org/p/Documents/UNDAC%20Handbook-dec2006.pdf

An OSOCC is set up to help local authorities in a disasteraffected 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 Assessment and Coordination team deployed by OCHA.
An OSOCC has three primary objectives: a) To be a link between international responders and the
Government of the affected country. b) To provide a system for coordinating and facilitating the activities of international relief efforts at a disaster site, notably following an earthquake, where the coordination of many international USAR teams is critical to ensure optimal rescue efforts. c) To provide a platform for cooperation, coordination and information management among international humanitarian agencies.

The OSOCC's size and functions vary according to the scale of the disaster. However, the basic structure (shown in the graphic above) should be modified to suit the requirements of each situation.
Find OSOCC Guidelines at: http://ochanet.unocha.org/p/Documents/OSOCC%20Guidelines.pdf

In many disasters there is a need to establish a Reception
and 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's primary responsibility is to register teams, provide an information briefing, direct teams to the OSOCC, and pass processed information of incoming teams to the OSOCC in order to facilitate its operational planning.
The RDC functions as a coordinating body for international relief traffic. It is intended to support the airport authorities with these activities. As the RDC may be the first point of contact for relief teams when arriving in the affected country, it must be prepared to facilitate the same basic services as that expected of an OSOCC. Some of the services expected by an
RDC include situational updates, operational information, logistical support, and the facilitation of immigration/customs procedures for staff, equipment and humanitarian aid.

RDC's basic structure and functions and their interaction with typical airport authorities.

Managing information during a humanitarian emergency is a crucial part of any operation. The humanitarian community recognizes the importance of gathering reliable data on the locations of people in need, what they urgently need, who is best placed to assist them, and the value of this information for effective and timely humanitarian assistance. The network includes people affected by the emergency, as well as relief organizations, governments and media.
Information Management Ressources:
 Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System www.gdacs.org
 ReliefWeb www.reliefweb.int
 Unitar‘s Operational Satellite Applications Programme (UNOSAT) www.unitar.org/unosat/
 United Nations Platform for Space-based information for Disaster
Management and Emergency Response www.un-spider.org
(UN-SPIDER)

The Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System provides near real-time alerts (by SMS) about natural disasters around the world and tools to facilitate response coordination, including media monitoring, map catalogues and Virtual On-Site
Operations Coordination Centre.

Via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, 32 participating states and the EU cooperate in civil protection matters.
The European Union supports and complements Member States' action at national, regional and local level. Within the European
Union this includes work in the area of risk prevention, preparing civil-protection personnel and in responding to natural or man made disasters, and promoting swift, effective operational cooperation between national civil protection services. It also encompasses to promote consistency in international civil-protection work.
The Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC), operated by the
European Commission in Brussels, is the operational heart of the
Community Mechanism for Civil Protection. It is available on a 24/7 basis.
Find more about the EU Civil Protection Mechanism at: http://ec.europa.eu/echo/civil_protection/civil/vademecum/menu/3.html

The Community Mechanism for Civil Protection has a number of tools intended to facilitate both adequate preparedness as well as effective response to disasters at a community level:
 The Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC) gives countries access to the community civil protection platform. Any country affected by a major disaster – inside or outside the
EU – can launch a request for assistance through the MIC. During emergencies the MIC plays three important roles:
Communications hub: Being at the centre of an emergency relief operation, the MIC acts as a focal point for the exchange of requests and offers of assistance. This helps in cutting down on the 32 participating states’ administrative burden in liaising with the affected country. It provides a central forum for participating states to access and share information about the available resources and the assistance offered at any given point in time.
Information provision: The MIC disseminates information on civil protection preparedness and response to participating states as well as a wider audience of interested. As part of this role, the MIC disseminates early warning alerts ( MIC Daily ) on natural disasters and circulates the latest updates on ongoing emergencies and Mechanism interventions.
Supports co-ordination: The MIC facilitates the provision of European assistance through the Mechanism. This takes place at two levels: at headquarters level, by matching offers to needs, identifying gaps in aid and searching for solutions, and facilitating the pooling of common resources where possible; and on the site of the disaster through the appointment of EU field experts, when required.

 The Common Emergency and Information System (CECIS) facilitates communication between the MIC with National
Authorities, making response to disasters faster and more effective. It therefore aims to better protect citizens from natural and technological hazards. This interconnection will facilitate exchange of information and experience between authorities responsible for Civil Protection and Marine Pollution in order to improve the capabilities of these organisations to deal with the different phases of emergencies, namely:
- Prevention
- Preparedness
- Response
Its main task is to host a database on potentially available assets for assistance, to handle requests for assistance on the basis of these data, to exchange information and to document all action and message traffic.
The end-users of CECIS are the MIC and National Contact points.

 A training programme has also been set up with a view to improving the co-ordination of civil protection assistance interventions by ensuring compatibility and complementarity between the intervention teams from the participating states. It also enhances the skills of experts involved in civil protection assistance operations through the sharing of best practices. This programme involves training courses, the organisation of joint exercises and a system of exchange of experts of the participating states.
Each Participating State has appointed a national training coordinator who is responsible for identifying and nominating experts to attend the training courses. It is therefore not possible for national experts to sign up for a course directly.

 Civil protection modules are made of national resources from one or more Member States on a voluntary basis. Thirteen civil protection modules have been identified by the Commission together with
Member States such as:
Pumping and purification of water (HCP).
Aerial fire fighting (planes and helicopters).
Urban search and rescue (heavy and medium).
Medical assistance including medical evacuation (advanced medical posts, field hospital, aerial evacuation).
Emergency Temporary Shelter (ETS).
CBRN detection and sampling, and search and rescue in CBRN conditions.
Technical Assistance Support Team (TAST) that may support MIC assessment and/or coordination teams and may, under specified conditions, be incorporated in specific modules to fulfil support functions.

Protection against disasters, which the German Basic Law (Grundgesetz) places within the remit of the Länder, is the component of civil protection which ranks highest in the public awareness. More than 99% of the roughly 1.7 million
assigned personnel in this area are volunteers, they are unsalaried.
However Civil defence (in case of war) is under the responsibility of the Federal
Government. Civil defence embraces all areas of life, and may not be understood as a merely task for the State to carry out. It will always rely on self-help and individual initiative by the public.
Civil defence includes the following tasks:
 self-protection
 alerting the population
 protective structures
 regulation of residence
 civil protection
 health-protection measures
 measures to protect cultural property

Across the world, the structure of THW is unique:
As a Federal agency, THW belongs to the department of the Federal Ministry of the Interior.
However, only one percent of the staff works fulltime for the authority. 99 percent of the THWmembers work on a voluntary basis for THW.
Nationwide more than 80,000 volunteers commit themselves during their leisure time in
668 local sections in order to provide professional help to people in distress.
THW flexibly adapts its structures to changing threat situations. Modern equipment and welltrained specialists are the basis of its high efficiency.
It is the manifold range of tasks, the commitment and the quality of its work which have earned the members of THW its good reputation at home and abroad since its foundation in 1950. Whatever kind of technical support is needed, the voluntary ex-perts of THW know their business. The tasks of the volunteers are derived from the law concerning the Federal Agency for Technical
Relief.
Find more about THW at: www.thw.de

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Rapid Deployment Unit Urban Search & Rescue (SEEBA)
After earthquakes, explosions or a structural collapse, people are trapped under debris. They can be rescued if they are detected and excavated quickly. For this special task THW has developed the Rapid
Deployment Unit Urban Search & Rescue (SEEBA). The unit is ready for deployment within six hours after being alarmed, by order of the
German Ministry of the Interior and the Foreign Office.
A well-considered equipment cache is the foundation of the SEEBA:
Pre-packed equipment in lightweight boxes enable the use of normal passenger air planes. SEEBA as a HEAVY USAR Team with over 60 team members is selfsufficient in a mission. The main components:
 Base of Operations (BoO)
 Technical search equipment
 Biological dog search (K9)
 Heavy rescue tools, such as concrete chainsaws, plasma cutters, hydraulic jaws of life etc.
 A team management incl. trained Liaison Officers for the “On Site
Operation and Coordination Centre” (OSOCC) of the UN.

Teamleader (TL)

Teamleader (TL)
Chief of Staff (CoS)
STAFF
LO / Pers.
Admin Pers.
Information
Admin Info.
LO / Operations
Media
ICT
Logistics
Log. Officer
Camp Manager
Log Technician
Log Technician
Log Technician
Medical
Senior Medical
Medical
Chief of Operations (CoO)
USAR -Team I USAR - Team II

Rapid Deployment Unit Water and Sanitation Abroad (SEEWA)
Earthquakes, floods, storms and civil wars often destroy vital infrastructure, and often the population’s water supply is affected. However, clean water counts as one of humanity’s most essential and life-giving basic needs!
SEEWA‘s tasks are: mobile water purification, water analysis and technical advice. Repairing damaged water supply systems is also part of its task spectrum.
SEEWA unit’s complete equipment is packed in light metal boxes, weighs around ten tons, and is designed to be airfreighted at short notice. SEEWA is thus ready to depart within a few hours on conventional airliners, enabling its volunteers and equipment to be moved abroad both quickly and inexpensively. A SEEWA mission team consists of up to ten
THW experts. Many of them are active in their professional lives as hydraulic or electrical engineers, logisticians, chemists and laboratory technicians, health professionals, paramedics or mechanics.

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Daniel Riedel
Phone: +49 – 162 / 4 12 16 27
E-Mail: daniel.riedel@thw-kl.de
Facebook: „Daniel Rico Riedel“