The Homefront Command's Search and Rescue Unit on Wednesday joined an elite group of military units operating in disaster-stricken areas on behalf of the United Nations.
A special delegation of the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group, or INSARAG, arrived in Israel last week to oversee a weeklong series of tests, in which the Homefront Command had to prove its capabilities in a wide range of recovery operations, such as disaster management, field triage and searching for victims trapped under debris.
INSARAG is a global network of some 80 countries whose teams deal with urban search and rescue missions with the aim of establishing minimum international standards for dealing with urban disasters. The organization also strives to develop a methodology for international coordination for earthquake response.
The seven-day certification process, which took place at the Homefront Command's headquarters in central Israel, demanded the Israeli troops successfully meet INSARAG's 230 criteria, including search and rescue missions, command and control of international events, completing operations within a specified period of time, field conditions analysis, urban engineering analysis, providing medical assistance, using advanced logistical measures and technological equipment, and simultaneously managing two active disaster sites, to name a few.
Following its accreditation, the Homefront Command's Search and Rescue Unit will be able to join U.N. aid missions to disaster-stricken countries worldwide, including countries with which Israel has no diplomatic ties or those considered adversaries.
Search and Rescue Unit Commander Col. Golan Wach said Israeli troops "have a lot to learn from and contribute to this international network."
He stressed that "Israel can be called upon for assistance regardless of the U.N.'s certification. Nations that take part in such missions do it to save lives, because they know that today they are the ones lending a hand and tomorrow they might need to ask for help."
Israeli troops, he said, "go to great lengths to improve their skills with one goal in mind – saving lives. I'm proud to head this unit and I'm proud of its personnel."
IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Ronen Manelis said the certification was "a great honor for the IDF and for Israel."
