TİKA Continues to Hold Training Courses on Search and Rescue in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Training of Trainers on Search and Rescue in Nature and the Basic Urban Search and Rescue Training were held from October 25 to 31, 2021 and from November 1 to 6, 2021, respectively, in cooperation with the Ministry of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina and IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation as part of TİKA’s Emergency and Disaster Response Training Program (ADAMEP).

A total of 54 people from five different search and rescue teams operating across the country attended the two training courses that were held in Ilidža as a continuation of the search and rescue training programs organized in Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2019.

During the courses, the participants were given theoretical and applied training in many fields such as organization of search and rescue teams in the wilderness, wilderness first aid, rappelling techniques, setting up and tracing fixed lines, building a pulley system, lowering and lifting stretchers on a low-slope land, lowering and lifting victims on a high-slope land, setting up sloping and straight overhead lines, communication chain, preparations for operations, arrival and positioning at the scene, security measures around collapsed structures and emergency signaling, search and rescue techniques, and field triage.

After the training courses, two large-scale exercises were conducted on Mount Igman with the participation of the trainees, and certificates were presented to the trainees who successfully completed these exercises. The certificate presentation ceremony was attended by Sadık Babür Girgin, the Republic of Turkey’s Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina; Samir Huseinbašić, Head of the Sector for Search and Rescue at the Ministry of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina; Erdal Altıntaş, Coordinator at IHH Disaster Academy; and Muhammed Ünal, TİKA’s Sarajevo Program Coordinator.

Sadık Babür Girgin, the Republic of Turkey’s Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, stated that there is nothing more valuable than helping disaster victims and saving their lives, and congratulated search and rescue teams, who work in the field and risk their lives for this cause. He noted that recent disasters proved once again the necessity of the training provided. Girgin added that Turkey is one of the Balkan countries hit by disasters, and that it was sharing its knowledge of and experience in this field with Bosnia and Herzegovina, a friendly country. He thanked TİKA and IHH Disaster Academy for enabling the sharing of experience.

Samir Huseinbašić, Head of the Sector for Search and Rescue at the Ministry of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina, stressed that the ongoing training program, which was launched by Turkey in 2019 for the search and rescue teams actively working in the field, was of great value, and that the completion of the training of trainers was important as it was the first training held for trainers in this field and the first fruit of Turkey’s efforts. He noted that training courses that brought together different teams ensured coordination across the country and that the response coordination improved thanks to joint practices. He thanked Turkey for its support and stated that he hoped joint training courses would continue.

Erdal Altıntaş, Coordinator at IHH Disaster Academy, noted that disasters do not discriminate between countries but affect everyone. He said he believed that such well-attended training courses would make a great contribution to the response to major disasters that may occur due to climate change caused by global warming. Altıntaş expressed his gratitude to TİKA and the Ministry of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina for holding the training courses and to all participants for contributing to search and rescue efforts voluntarily.

Muhammed Ünal, TİKA’s Sarajevo Program Coordinator, noted that the training courses were very important for improving the disaster and emergency response capacity and ensuring coordination between teams working in the field. Ünal stated that TİKA attached importance to the preparation of Bosnia and Herzegovina for emergencies and to the development of its workforce, and that theoretical and applied training courses aiming to share Turkey’s experience in this field would continue.

The trainees actively participated in the search and rescue operations during the floods that occurred due to heavy rains across Bosnia and Herzegovina from November 6 to 7, 2021.

As part of the Emergency and Disaster Response Training Program (ADAMEP), training courses will be held on urban search and rescue and water search and rescue in order to improve the local search and rescue capacity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.