Belarusian Rescuers are Acting as Experts (TSENTROSPAS)

Employees of the Ministry for Emergency Situations of Belarus, as part of an international commission, are taking part in the recertification in accordance with INSARAG standards for the TSENTROSPAS unit of the Ministry for Emergency Situations of Russia.

This week, the TSENTROSPAS team of the Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations is undergoing re-certification according to the standards of the United Nations International Advisory Group on Search and Rescue (INSARAG).

For reference, INSARAG is an international organization under the auspices of the United Nations that unites more than 80 countries and organizations specialized in conducting search and rescue operations in destroyed buildings. One of its activities is to conduct certification and regular confirmation of compliance with international standards for detachments. The Belarusian search and rescue team, created on the basis of Republican Special Response Team ZUBR, has been certified according to INSARAG standards as a heavy-duty team. It is included in the list of detachments recommended by the United Nations to respond to major emergencies around the world. This unit of the Belarusian Ministry for Emergency Situations worked to respond to the consequences of the earthquake in Turkey last year.

One of the responsibilities of a search and rescue team that has been certified according to international standards is to send their employees as experts to participate in certification commissions when assessing the compliance of other countries' detachments with these standards. Two specialists from the Ministry for Emergency Situations of Belarus were included in the commission for certifying the TSENTROSPAS detachment of the Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations, which was undergoing confirmation of its compliance with heavy-class standards. The commission also included experts from Algeria, Jordan, Qatar, China, Malaysia, Oman, and Turkey. Additionally, Dmitry Tkachuk, the Head of the International Cooperation Department at the Ministry of Emergency Situations in Belarus, was appointed as an authorized representative of the INSARAG (International Search and Rescue Advisory Group) Secretariat. His duties include monitoring the certification process, ensuring adherence to INSARAG standards, and resolving any disputes that may arise.