The Asian Network of Major Cities 21 (ANMC 21) provides training programs for administrative staff and specialists from ANMC 21 member cities for the sharing of knowledge and best practices in specific fields.
In this issue, we will give an introduction of the "International Urban Search and Rescue Course " program that took place from January 11 to 22, 2010.
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Participation in an International Urban Search and Rescue Course
The Singapore Civil Defence Academy (SCDA), an organization under the purview of the Ministry of Home Affairs of Singapore, provides international training courses and fosters human resources in the field of crisis management. So far, SCDA has accepted trainees from 95 countries around the world, and in 2009 alone 400 people have received training at the academy.
Two technical officials from the Tokyo Fire Department (TFD) Fire Rescue Task Forces participated in the International Urban Search and Rescue Course implemented by SCDA for a period of two weeks from January 11 to January 22, 2010.
Here we present a report of the participants in the course.
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Report TFD Fire Sergeant Keiji Amano
Assistant Fire Sergeant Shinichi Umezawa
The training course began with a tour of SCDA. The academy has very spacious grounds with a variety of training facilities that enable fire response drills envisioning fire disasters in 17 types of situations, from condominium buildings to karaoke establishments, by simulating actual fire conditions inside and outside the buildings, as well as facilities for practicing rescue activities in collapsed buildings. Furthermore, SCDA has a lounge for holding various ceremonies for visitors and trainees from around the world, as well as a dormitory on its grounds.
Lectures started with an overview of Singapore, and included a summary of rescue activities, case studies of initiatives implemented by the local Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (DART) (the equivalent of the TFD rescue units), a summary of activities for provision of first-aid, etc., giving us a valuable opportunity to learn about the differences with Tokyo.
The practical exercises included rope rescue, breaching, and shoring drills based on the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) International Search and Rescue Response Guidelines, as well as an overnight endurance training in which we had to conduct several rescue missions over a period of 24 hours. These exercises helped us acquire technical skills and develop mental capacities required for extended rescue operations.
A total of eight trainees—two from Tokyo, four from Australia, one from Sri Lanka and one from Armenia—participated in this year's International Urban Search and Rescue Course, giving the event a true international flavor. The implementation of joint activities with foreign rescue teams facilitated networking, and enhanced our confidence in our ability to conduct actual rescue missions in foreign countries. In that sense, we believe that participation in such overseas training courses is extremely useful.
Going forward, we intend to apply the experience acquired through the International Urban Search and Rescue Course in the activities of TFD.
It appears that the two-week severe training gave the participants an opportunity not only to acquire technical skills, but also to form international networks. We are looking forward to their future activities.
* Visit the website of the Singapore Civil Defence Force (English only) for more information on SCDA
URL：http://www.scdf.gov.sg/
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