Over the past two weeks of coordination drills — the same cycle that included joint work with the mi…

Over the past two weeks of coordination drills — the same cycle that included joint work with the military canine teams — our programme featured a dedicated training day with the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS)

The morning began with Wangila Samuel, who introduced the chain of survival and explained what happens to a casualty after the first-aid phase. His session helped the USAR teams understand how their actions at the rubble interface integrate with the medical continuum: handover, transport and hospital care.

This was followed by a lecture delivered by trainers and USAR team, focusing on the technical and tactical possibilities of using Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) capabilities during structural-collapse operations. They outlined how stabilisation, access techniques, search tools and safe casualty movement connect with pre-hospital care and with the procedures used by the KRCS. The session established a common operational picture for all agencies involved.

In return, KRCS teams presented their own procedures, equipment and constraints during transport and hospital admission, creating a clear understanding of roles on both sides. With this shared baseline, the afternoon was dedicated to joint USAR–KRCS drills on the training ground: scene assessment, hazard identification, securing unstable structures, locating trapped casualties, extraction and handover for onward medical care.

The cooperation with KRCS was exemplary — their presence significantly enhanced the realism of the exercise, and KRCS responders established practical working arrangements with the USAR commanders from Kiambu and Nairobi, building the foundations for future multi-agency deployments.

Such training is essential. During real structural-collapse incidents, no single service can manage the full spectrum of tasks. Lives depend on the ability of technical rescue teams and medical responders to operate as one system.

These activities were carried out as part of the PCPM and #PolishAid support to Kenya’s growing national USAR capability.

#PolishAid #USAR #KenyaRedCross #InterAgencyCoordination #DisasterPreparedness #Firetrack #KiambuCounty #NairobiCounty #PCPM

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Żródło materiału: Polskie Centrum Pomocy Międzynarodowej (PCPM)