Emergency & Rescue Services
• Ensure public safety by addressing different emergencies.
• Engage in community awareness and prevention programs to help the public avoid, detect, and report emergencies effectively.
The availability of emergency services depends on:
o Type of emergency
o Geographical location
o Recipient giving payment / holding suitable insurance or other surety for receiving the service.
Types of Emergency Services
a. Core emergency services
There are three services which are almost universally acknowledged as being core to the provision of emergency care to the populace, and are often government run. They would generally be summoned on a dedicated emergency telephone number, reserved for critical emergency calls. They are:
* Police- providing community safety and acting to reduce crime against persons and property
* Fire and Rescue Service-providing fire fighters to deal with fire and rescue operations
* Emergency medical service- providing ambulances and staff to deal with medical emergencies
b. Other emergency services
These services can be provided by one of the core services or by a separate government or private body.
* Coastguard-Provide coastal patrols with a security function at sea, as well as involvement in search and rescue operations
* Lifeboat-Dedicated providers of rescue lifeboat services, usually at sea (such as by the RNLI in the United Kingdom).
* Mountain rescue to provide search and rescue in mountainous areas, and sometimes in other wilderness environments.
* Cave rescue to rescue people injured, trapped, or lost during caving explorations.
* Mine rescue specially trained and equipped to rescue miners trapped by fires, explosions, cave-ins, toxic gas, flooding, etc.
* Technical rescue to other types of technical or heavy rescue, but usually specific to a discipline (such as swift water).
* Search and rescue to can be discipline-specific, such as urban, wildland, maritime, etc.
* Wildland fire suppression- to suppress, detect and control fires in forests and other wildland areas.
* Immigration and Customs-to prevent serious crime, combat unsafe transportation of people
Amateur radio emergency communications to provide communications support to other emergency services.
c. Civil emergency services
These groups and organisations respond to emergencies and provide other safety-related services either as a part of their on-the-job duties, as part of the main mission of their business or concern, or as part of their hobbies.
* Public utilities –safeguarding gas, electricity and water, which are all potentially hazardous if infrastructure fails
* Emergency road service - provide repair or recovery for disabled or crashed vehicles
* Civilian Traffic Officers - such as operated by the Highways Agency in the UK to facilitiate clearup and traffic flow at road traffic collisions
* Community emergency response teams help organize facilities such as rest centers during large emergencies
* Animal control-can assist or lead response to emergencies involving animals
* Wildlife services
* St. John Ambulance / Red Cross Medical & First Aid Support
d. Location-specific emergency services
Some locations have emergency services dedicated to them, and whilst this does not necessarily preclude employees using their skills outside this area (or be used to support other emergency services outside their area), they are primarily focused on the safety or security of a given geographical place.
* Park rangers-looking after many emergencies within their given area, including fire, medical and security issues
* Lifeguards- charged with reacting to emergencies within their own given remit area, usually a pool, beach or open water area
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_service
http://202.185.252.2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=200&Itemid=
Malaysia
1. Unit Pengesan/ Detection Unit
o Established on the 26th of April 2002, situated in Jalan Klang Lama , WP.
o Aim: To improve the efficacy of investigations and to search and rescue quickly and competently
o Trained officials to handle sniffing dogs – 12: 6 English Springer Spaniels (ESS) and 6 Labradors
o ESS- finds trapped victims in Urban Disasters
o Labradors – Investigate fire incidences
2. RELA
"RELA Corps" (or Ikatan Relawan Rakyat Malaysia; English: Volunteers of Malaysian People) is a paramilitary civil volunteer corps formed by the Malaysian government. Their main duty is to check the travelling documents and immigration permits of foreigners in Malaysian cities, including tourists, visitors and migrants to reduce the increasing rate of illegal immigrants in Malaysia. RELA has the authority to deal with situations like policemen, such as raiding suspected streets or places such as factories, restaurants and even hotels. They are also fully authorized to conduct the interrogation and even detaining people who forgot to bring their traveling documents, like passports and/or working permits. Besides that they are also tasked with security works at times. During times of war, they are absorbed into the Malaysian Army as support groups despite their law enforcing duties. They are also tasked to do SAR works if needed.
Given only basic training, this civil corps is sometimes equipped with firearms, making many cases of power abuse by this civil corps such as killing people in the street and beheading foreigners.
The defence zone follows the concept used by the Home Guard's team that is to preserve local peace and security until it is taken over by the security force.
The roles encompass:
* Security and defence of main target in responsible area, if any.
* Migration as well as civilian protection to a safe settlement area.
* Special psychological tasks especially in the surveillance of parties regarded as moles in the responsible area.
* Crime prevention tasks of responsible area until responsibility are taken over by the police.
RELA’s manpower can be combined for various purposes according to their respective skills. Some of the skills that have been identified:-
* Carpentry and building
* Technician
* Drivers (heavy and light)
* Skilled in handling firearm
Even though RELA's force is created as security machinery for purposes of helping the Nation in emergency conditions, nevertheless during peaceful time, the roles of this team are geared towards:
* Security
* Societal development (BAKTI RELA Project )
* Duties during peaceful time in the area of security include the concept of being the Government’s Eyes and Ears which functions as :
o Collecting and communicating important information to related government agencies such as PDRM, Customs, UPP, and Immigration on any threat that can threaten the local area security.
o Conducting crime prevention patrol as a move to preserve and maintain security and peace in respective areas
The Role of RELA in the Social Development Field
Increase their involvement in social works locally especially in areas that will help produce a high psychological effect.
The Chosen Fields are:-
* Restoration and construction of houses for the underprivileged with the purpose of helping the Government to reduce poverty problem.
* Large scale blood donation drive for the purpose of assisting the health programme. Assist specific agencies in providing basic facilities (small project) in rural areas.
* Operation for the eradication of crop enemies in rural areas.
* RELA is also assigned to help in dealing with natural disaster like flood, fire, storm and others
http://www.kdn.gov.my/eng/template01.asp?contentid=54
3. Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department/ Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat Malaysia
Besides jungle and water survival training, the members go through a regular systematic training programme every weekend led by senior instructor and two others in their base to handle fire protection and fire-fighting operations safety correctly.
They are also trained in drilling, swimming, rappelling and abseiling, cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and basic emergency patient care training.
They also have:
• Sniffing dogs
• Rescue helicopters
When there is a group of campers, advises them to inform the local police the duration of their stay.
• If they’re not back in 48 hours, they are deemed missing and a search party can be organized for them
• In fact, if there is a group of more than 20 people planning to camp near the river, could offer the association’s services.
• Trek into the jungle with the necessary equipment.
A random safety check would be conducted to identify the campsite and the group would be advised on the best place to camp.
• Safety should be the number one priority.
• The organizers can get in touch with the fire dept. and they can provide at least two back-up fire fighters for them.
4. JSART
The smallest unit in MVFRA. This small but vital team consists of regular jungle trackers and nature experts and is responsible for search, rescue and recovery of survivors of such disasters like plane crash, forest evacuation as well as people lost in the jungle.
They also conduct various Jungle survival Training Programmes with the aim to better
equip the trainers during jungle tracking activities. JSART also conducts Jungle
Survival and Safety Programmed for Nature Lovers.
5. Royal Malaysian Police
• Locate missing people
• Involved in crime prevention
Australia
Rescue Coordination Centre – Australia (RCC)
Australia has a world renowned search and rescue service that spans the nation and covers 52.8 million square kilometres of the Indian, Pacific and Southern Oceans.
The search and rescue service is provided by the Rescue Coordination Centre - Australia, the national search and rescue organisation, which is part of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA).
Operating 24 hours, the Rescue Coordination Centre - Australia in Canberra is responsible for the national coordination of both maritime and aviation search and rescue. RCC Australia is also responsible for the management and operation of the Australian ground segment of the Cospas-Sarsat distress beacon detection system.
RCC Australia is staffed by search and rescue (SAR) specialists who have a naval, merchant marine, air force, civil aviation or police service background. RCC Australia also coordinates medical evacuations, broadcasts maritime safety information and operates the Australian Ship Reporting System (AUSREP).
Search and Rescue Procedure
On receiving a distress signal or being notified of a missing civil aircraft or seagoing vessel, RCC Australia will take action to establish the safety of the aircraft, vessel or source of the signal. This action may include:
* coordinating a search and rescue with assistance from organisations as appropriate, such as the Defence forces, trained aviation organisations (Civil SAR Units), emergency medical helicopters, state Police services, state emergency services, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), airlines, the general aviation industry, volunteer marine rescue groups, the Bureau of Meteorology, the shipping industry and fishing cooperatives.
or
* passing coordination to the appropriate regional police organisation to conduct search and rescue operations within their jurisdiction.
Distress Alerts
Traditionally, Australia's SAR authorities have been alerted to emergency incidents through radio distress calls ('maydays'), flare sightings, calls from worried friends or relatives, or the more formal overdue ship/aircraft reports.
This in turn has usually required a painstaking evaluation of many variables such as aircraft endurance, terrain, weather in the area, wind, currents, survival gear carried, and of course, the skipper's experience and likely intentions. Naturally these sorts of considerations remain very important whenever a search and rescue operation is being mounted.
Satellite System
Today's technology takes most of the 'search' out of search and rescue through the utilisation of satellites and modern radio distress beacons.
Aviators call their radio distress beacons ELTs (Emergency Locator Transmitters, mounted permanently in the aircraft) or PLBs (Personal Locator Beacons, which are portable and carried on the person). Mariners call their beacons EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons) and the main difference being that an EPIRB, unlike an ELT, is designed to float upright in water with its antenna pointing upright.
Under the COSPAS-SARSAT international satellite aided tracking system, polar orbiting satellites are able to detect distress signals from radio beacons. As the satellites pass overhead, signals are detected and relayed back to the RCC Australia through ground receiver stations located at Albany, Western Australia, Bundaberg, Queensland, and Wellington, New Zealand.
Accurate Detection
Radio distress beacons operate on 406 MHz with a 121.5 MHz transmission feature being used for final stage homing.
The technology of distress beacons is so advanced that the location of the boat, aircraft or individual in distress can be calculated to a search area of as little as 110m with a digital 406 MHz beacon, if encoded with GPS.
Which type of beacon?
There are 3 types:
*Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRB) used in ships and boats;
*Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELT) used in aircraft; and
*Personal Locator Beacons (PLB) for personal use by bushwalkers, four-wheel drivers, other adventurers on land, employees working in remote areas, and crew in boats and aircrew
Safety equipment
While satellites and satellite-compatible distress beacons have significantly improved the effectiveness of SAR operations, the system is NOT a substitute for carrying appropriate marine or aviation radio.
http://www.fireandrescueaustralia.com/?page=shop/browse&category_id=5259b5e0a22436193433833eacdab368&ps_session=9d7a96940ce379dae5c35d7a19272ef1
Fire and Rescue Australia
STATE Emergency Service volunteers have assisted the Western Australia Police Service in thousands of searches in all types of terrain in both rural and urban areas.
Most of the searches are for missing people but they also have sought criminal evidence such as murder weapons.
Assistance comes in the form of fully trained and self-contained teams of volunteers who work under the leadership of a volunteer field search controller.
These teams can consist of volunteers on foot, in motor vehicles and on horseback. Ground searchers can be assisted by tracker dog units.
SES volunteers can also assist as observers from aircraft for both land and sea searches.
Volunteers are trained in a number of search techniques and are required to have specific skills including map reading and navigation skills, first aid, field craft, observation skills (both day and night), and tracking skills.
Searching can be an extremely traumatic task especially when young children are involved and the outcome is not successful. SES volunteers have peer support counselling available to them to help deal with stressful incidents.
http://www.fesa.wa.gov.au/internet/default.aspx?MenuID=144
Emergency rescue helicopter service
Since August 2003, the dedicated emergency rescue helicopter service has saved the lives of several hundred West Australians.
This vital service flies critical care specialists direct to an incident and then transports the injured directly to the hospital that will provide them with the very best of medical care.
It has responded to a wide range of emergencies across much of Western Australia including traffic accidents, searches, and cliff and sea rescues.
While the focus of the service is emergency rescue, it also has a secondary role to provide essential hospital transfers.
**The Emergency Services Levy (ESL) funds Western Australia's fire and emergency services, including all career fire stations, volunteer fire brigades, State Emergency Service (SES) units and the multi-purpose volunteer emergency service units.
http://www.fesa.wa.gov.au/internet/default.aspx?MenuID=185
SARDA
Search and Rescue Dogs Australia (SARDA) is a volunteer organisation based on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria. SARDA members are also based in NSW & Qld. Two Victorian Sarda Dog Teams are Internationally Accredited with NSARDA UK. in both Urban Search & Rescue and Wilderness Search. All active members have current Human First Aid and K9 First Aid qualifications and are fluent in communication and navigation skills required by all Emergency Services . SARDA is available, upon request, to assist Emergency Services and Law Enforcement Agencies
To meet this goal, SARDA’s objectives are:
* To provide specially trained dogs, handlers and support personnel for the search and rescue of missing persons;
* To provide SAR dog services to Australian Emergency Services, 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year, at no cost to requesting organizations or the communities we serve;
* To provide training and education for SARDA dogs and members to develop and improve those capabilities that will ensure competent and capable SAR dog teams and operations; and
* To further the public knowledge, interest and use of search and rescue trained dogs.
Search Dogs may be employed in a wide range of emergency situations around Australia, including:
*Wilderness / open country search - to locate people who become lost in the bush or country regions, including bush walkers, climbers, and vulnerable people missing from home, such as children, elderly people, mentally disabled people and potential suicide victims;
*Urban /Disaster search to locate victims who are lost or trapped as a result of explosions, building collapse or natural disasters (e.g. earthquakes, flooding, landslides);
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/6/9/nation/4078359&sec=nation
