International Сooperation
Regional rapid response teams(RRRT) for a streng thened decentralized rescue system in Armenia
12:33 / 12.03.2016
FACTS
Country: Armenia
Duration: March 2015 - September 2016
Budget: CHF 815‘000
Project partners: The project is directly implemented by SDC in collaboration with
• Ministry of Territorial Administration and Emergency Situations (MTAES)
• Armenian Rescue Service (ARS) under MTAES
• Crisis Management Academy (CMA) under MTAES
• Crisis Management Centers (CMC) under ARS
OVERALL GOAL
The project‘s overall goal is to save lives and to reduce economic losses as a consequence of disasters. This will be achieved through strengthening the decentralized response system and improving capacities of the responsible national government institutions.
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
The phase II of the project focuses on establishment of additional regional rescue teams in order to enlarge the geography of available rescue capacities.
Furthermore, the Crisis Management Academy will be enabled to offer and ensure continuous knowledge transfer to rescue teams to keep the teams’ skills on a high level.
BACKGROUND
Armenia is very prone to natural disasters, such as landslides, floods, avalanches and sometimes man-made disasters, and especially to earthquakes (e.g. Spitak 1988), causing huge human and economic losses. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) started its activities in the aftermath of this earthquake and since 2004 has been supporting the Armenian Rescue Services in improving the local and central preparedness system.
During 2004-2014, SDC assisted the country in building up a decentralized and complete rescue system through implementation of the „Ardzagank“ and „Medical Units“ projects. Based on positive results achieved and productive cooperation with the government, SDC supported further improvement of the rescue system following international standards by creating, training and equipping three Regional Rapid Response Teams in Yerevan, Shirak, and Syunik regions. During the Phase I of the project a total of 141 staff have been prepared for deployments that require advanced capacities to autonomously operate in complex situations.
PROJECT ACTIVITIES
• Building-up two additional Regional Rapid Response Teams with 94 multi-profile members in Lori and Tavush regions in accordance with international requirements
• Multi-level rescue training of teams in accordance with International Search and Rescue Advisory Group Guidelines
• Provision and storage of rescue equipment to two Regional Rapid Response Teams and the Crisis Management Academy
• Improvement of deployment and coordination procedures for Regional Rapid Response Teams
• Strengthening capacities of the Crisis Management Academy to ensure continuous training of the Regional Rapid Response Teams
• Strengthening the links between the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Emergency Situations and the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group
EXPECTED RESULTS
• Two additional Regional Rapid Response Teams are integrated into the existing response plans and able to adequately respond to disasters on national and regional levels coordinated by the central and regional governmental offices, respectively.
• A high-quality system for continuous training of Regional Rapid Response Team members is operational.
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Contacts
Swiss Cooperation Office for the South Caucasus
Embassy of Switzerland
Melik Adamyan Street 2/1
Yerevan 0010, Armenia
Phone:+374 10 52 98 60
Fax: +374 10 52 98 61
