FOUR members of U.K. based ERT Search and Rescue, including a Thame fire officer, have just returned from a unique mission where they spent almost a month on the Afghan border of Pakistan.
In a country heavily hit by all sorts of life threatening hazards, Thame’s Andy Ford and his three colleagues have been teaching Civil Defence Master Trainers in the North West Frontier Province how to prepare for disasters and what to do when they occur.
Andy told Thamenews.Net: “It was very rewarding, and very hot – 45 degrees C on most days, which took a bit of getting used too!. There were a few security risks in the area, but we were made very welcome – the majority of people just want to get on with their lives.
“Those on the programme were dedicated to gaining more information to help them cope with the potential risk of future disasters. They live with the understanding of not ‘if’ but ‘when’ another earthquake will occur in the region.
“There is a long way to go but hope this initative can grow with more support and funding giving the Pakistan people some resilience for the future.”
As well as working locally during the floods in Britain last year with their water rescue teams around the clock with the Oxfordshire Fire & Rescue Service, the team also responds to disasters abroad and recently stood down from the situation in Myanmar and the China earthquake.
Ten ERT Search & Rescue members from the Thames Valley deployed during the earthquake in Pakistan and carried out several rescue missions over two weeks after the earthquake, where the casualty count sometimes exceeded 600 a day. They travelled by foot and helicopter to reach and rescue the victims of that disaster.
The lessons of the Earthquake of October 2005 were harsh and ERT Search & Rescue were privileged to help thousands with their emergency rescue deployment during the rescue and relief phase back then. But now, amidst a different time where the monsoon season is about to start, floods are imminent, explosions and bombings are a regular occurrence and natural and manmade disasters are an ever present threat ? the team were there in a mentoring and training capacity to teach the Pakistan Civil Defence Teams how to pass this information onto others.
This programme was interspersed with consultations and meetings with UN level stakeholders such as ERRA (Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority) and the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) to help to build Pakistan?s resilience against the threats it currently faces. And there are modern challenges too with more computers in this region viruses are ubiquitous and an outbreak of Bird Flu occurred in the area the day the team left. Terrorism and firearm incidents occur almost daily. But the Pakistan people are resilient and strong. The team was greeted very kindly and treated very well by their hosts.
Pakistan has been proactive in its capacity building initiatives and have implemented many strategies and plans to mitigate the next potential disaster. It is felt by experts that another earthquake is very possible in that region and preparations for this and other hazards are underway. A specialist course was created with federal government support for school children ? but first a team of teachers and master trainers had to be developed for this programme which would initially pilot in the North West Frontier Province. 26 senior Master Trainers were hand-picked by the government and key international stake holders to participate in this course, which was written and developed by Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Response expert, Gary Foo of ERT SAR. The Ministry of the Interior and Ministry of Education made their approvals, based on their own governmental resolution, so that this programme could launch. This information will be taught to school teachers who will then teach it in schools to some 40,000 school children. Another programme is expected to be start up in the coming months.
Gary Foo is the head of ERT Search and Rescue, a local charity which is based in Henley On Thames, Oxfordshire. Former Police Officer and Royal College of Surgeons recognised PHTLS Paramedic, Gary, was joined by fellow ERT SAR rescue instructors, Merv Redfearn (who spent 30 years as a Royal Marine Commando and was also with Gary during the emergency rescue phase in October 2005), as well as Oxfordshire Fire Fighter, Andy Ford, and Ropes and Water Rescue Technician, Will Selley. The team took various items with them for the mission and left them there. They are now seeking more relevant items from fire fighting kit, to first aid and rescue items to cash for their next return mission in August.
More information on the team and their national and international work can be found at:
www.ert-sar.org.uk.
The team have been asked to return again in August to complete the next phase of this capacity building programme and they are seeking financial and equipment donations for the charity.
To donate go online at: LINK
or post cheques to ERT Search & Rescue, Fawley Court, Henley On Thames, Oxfordshire, RG9 3AE. Enquiries for membership should be directed to membership@ert-sar.org
Photo: Thame fire fighter, Andy Ford (2nd left) with three colleagues in Pakistan
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