Swiss Rescue practised emergency preparedness

Swiss Rescue has lived up to its motto, "Save lives – alleviate suffering", during the course of 20 deployments since it was founded in 1981. Since 2008, Swiss Rescue has been classified as a "heavy team" by UN INSARAG (the UN International Search and Rescue Advisory Group). This means that it can carry out 24-hour search and rescue operations of this kind simultaneously at two separate disaster locations for 10 days. To remain in the top league of rescue teams, Swiss Rescue has to train at regular intervals.  

The Achilles rescue exercise was staged in the fictional country of "Romandia" in the greater Geneva area. According to the exercise scenario, this area was struck by a magnitude 6.6 earthquake on the night of 12 to 13 March. On the afternoon of 13 March, the first Swiss Rescue team members arrived at the affected area. Nearly 100 specialists and 12 search dogs were taking part in the exercise.  

Speaking to some 80 guests from partner organisations, the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport, and the business and media worlds during his visit on 14 March, Mr Burkhalter said that he was impressed by the broad support Swiss Rescue enjoys in Switzerland. The Swiss stand united behind it, noted Burkhalter, "probably due to the fact that Swiss Rescue reflects Switzerland's strengths in facilitating cooperation between civilian and military actors, between the government and private sectors, and between conscripts and professional military personnel." 

Ambassador Manuel Bessler, the Federal Council's Delegate for Humanitarian Aid, underscored Swiss Rescue's role as an expression of hope and solidarity with regions affected by disaster. He also recalled the bilateral significance of the assistance provided by Swiss Rescue: "It frequently marks the beginning of a good political relationship between the affected country and Switzerland." 

In his capacity as custodian of the exercise village of Epeisses, Brigadier Jacques F. Rüdin outlined some ideas for the expansion of the site. He said that its infrastructure could in future be used to train international search and rescue teams and to classify them in accordance with UN INSARAG guidelines: "Epeisses' location in Geneva, with its infrastructure including the international airport of Geneva-Cointrin, as well as its close proximity to international organisations makes it ideally suited for this purpose." 

Swiss Rescue is deployed after earthquakes and other disasters abroad and specialises in locating, rescuing and providing first aid to earthquake victims. It can provide initial survival assistance, distribute relief supplies and contribute to the coordination of international assistance.  

Further information:

Humanitarian Aid of the Federation
Swiss Rescue
Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit - SHA

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