Recognition as an accredited team is given by the National System for Disaster Risk Management (Sistema Nacional para la Gesti贸n del Riesgo de Desastres), headed by the Unidad Nacional para la Gesti贸n del Riesgo en Colombia (UNGRD).
Navy of Colombia has the only team in the Caribbean area accredited by the highest authority. This company under the command of the Navy infantry captain Javier Leonardo Contreras Moreno, made up of 47 men and a woman of the Colombian navy, were responsible for carrying out the accreditation exercise that guarantees high quality in the planning and development of emergency search and Rescue Care with 24 hours of uninterrupted work.
In this way through the drills made in Malagana, Bolivar, and in the facilities of the School Fern谩ndez Baena of the heroic city, a select group of observers and evaluators certified the High-Quality and Training of the Company's Disaster Risk Management of the Navy of Colombia in emergency care in a timely manner and according to the standards established methodology under the INSARAG.
Their most recent participation, took place in the assistance provided to the island of San Andr茅s, Providencia and Santa Catalina, after the devastating hurricane IOTA, being the first reaction force in getting to the place of emergency to conduct work for debris removal, search and rescue of people supported with the pairing of a search dogs, consisting of Perseo and Puca, two specimens of the breed Labrador and Golden Retriver, both with 8 years at the service of the Company.
To achieve accreditation, 134 exercises were carried out in the city of Cartagena from the 27th until the 30th of April, corresponding to the five operational components in the management/administration, search, rescue, medical unit and logistics unit, in which is included the active participation of professionals of the Teams to USAR, the accredited Firemen of Bogota, Red Cross of Caldas and Special Operations Unit in Emergencies and Disasters of the National Police - Ponalsar, achieving outstanding development of the abilities evaluated.
Among the exercises conducted there are the hot cutting, clean cutting technique and dirty cutting with chainsaw for concrete, use of cutting and drilling equipment such as motor cutters and Hammers, rescue techniques with ropes, search with technological equipment and canines, pre hospital care and trauma management, logistics administration, Assembly and arrangement of the base of operations.
Colombia currently has eight search and rescue teams accredited by the National System for Disaster Risk Management in Colombia (SNGRD), which are the Unit of Special Operations in Emergencies and Disasters of the National Police - Ponalsar, Firemen Bogot谩, National Army of Colombia, the Red Cross Quind铆o, Civil Defense Quind铆o, Volunteer Firefighters from Chinchin谩 (Caldas), Red Cross Caldas and Volunteer Firefighters of Cali; and now the Navy of Colombia, which becomes the ninth national team and the only one in the Caribbean area.
HISTORY
Given the challenges and new environments for the military forces, the Colombian Navy in 2013 created the risk management and Disaster Response Company, which since then has actively participated in the mitigation of natural disasters. Thus, in 2015 the men of the Naval institution supported the assistance to the structural collapse of the Blas de Lezo building in the city of Cartagena, successfully rescuing 23 people and recovering 21 dead bodies in the middle of the rubble.
In the same way, in 2016 they supported the work of removing debris, shelters managing and distributing humanitarian aid after the Hurricane Matew, in Haiti.
In the same way, in 2019 they represented Colombia in the realization of solidarity exercises for Disaster Response, held in Juanchaco (Colombian Pacific), where countries such as Peru, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama and Canada participated.
With this accreditation, the men and women of the Colombian Navy are highly trained to provide national emergency support under the United Nations methodology (INSARAG) to work hand in hand with USAR, Urban Search and Rescue teams, in Colombia and the world, equipped with the cutting-edge technology necessary to mitigate the impacts generated by natural or provoked disasters.
The Colombian Navy sends a greeting of pride to the men and women of the risk management and Disaster Response Company, for their commitment and contribution to the communities hit by disasters, while reaffirming its commitment to the strengthening of comprehensive support processes for the benefit of safety and life.
Source: press-Colombian Navy
