medical working group (mwg)

FCSS – Field Coordination Support Section

www.reliefweb.int/insaragOCHA

Medical Working Group Medical Working Group (MWG) (MWG)

8 May 2008



Admin AnnouncementsAdmin Announcements• Meet @ Holiday Inn today; • Travelling to Fire Services College

tonight;• Meet @ Fire Services College Friday

and Saturday;• Any issues / concerns?



Today’s AgendaToday’s Agenda• Official Opening• Participant Introduction• Introduction to INSARAG• Introduction Search Dog Working

Group• Introduction Training Working Group



INSARAG - IntroductionINSARAG - Introduction

INSARAG was established in 1991 following lessons learned in the

1988 Armenia earthquake



GA ResolutionGA Resolution• Decision by all UN member countries in UN

General Assembly on 16 December 2002• GA Resolution 57/150• “Strengthening the Effectiveness and

Coordination of International Urban Search and Rescue Assistance”

• Endorses the INSARAG Concept• Adopts INSARAG Guidelines as reference

document



INSARAG STRUCTUREINSARAG STRUCTURE

Ad-hocWorkingGroups

SteeringCommittee

Regional GroupAfrica/

Europe/Middle East

Regional Group

Asia/Pacific

Regional Group

Americas

INSARAG SecretariatUN OCHA

Geneva (FCSS)

InternationalUSAR

Team Leaders

Regional Office

TWG

MWG

SDWG



INSARAG – IntroductionINSARAG – Introduction

•Inter-governmental network;•Under the United Nations

umbrella;•Deals with international Urban

Search And Rescue (USAR) response.



INSARAG – IntroductionINSARAG – Introduction

INSARAG stakeholders:– Earthquake-prone countries– Providers of international assistance– OCHA (Secretariat)– IFRC– NGOs



INSARAG – MandateINSARAG – Mandate

• Develop international relationships to improve disaster response

• Improve disaster response preparedness• Develop methodology and minimum

standards for international USAR • Promote capacity building in disaster-prone

countries



General ResponsibilitiesGeneral Responsibilities

• Apply INSARAG Guidelines• Government request for membership

through INSARAG Secretariat• Member countries to nominate

INSARAG Focal Point• Participate in meetings and workshops• Participate in and/or host events

– Training, Workshops, Meetings, etc.

• USAR teams to register in INSARAG USAR Directory



USAR DirectoryUSAR Directory• Web-based registry of INSARAG Search

and Rescue Teams• URL: www.reliefweb.int/insarag• Purpose

– Overview of international USAR teams that meet INSARAG criteria

– INSARAG focal points– USAR team’s experience and deployment

history– Support on-line modification of data by

INSARAG members



INSARAG GuidelinesINSARAG Guidelines• Standardised guidance for international USAR

teams:– Management– Logistics– Search – Rescue – Medical

• Defines 3 classifications of teams:– Light– Medium– Heavy

• Classification Process– Self-classification– INSARAG External Classification (IEC)



INSARAG GuidelinesINSARAG Guidelines• Addresses the disaster management

cycle:– Preparedness– Mobilisation– Operations– Demobilisation– Post Mission



Ad-hoc Working GroupsAd-hoc Working Groups• Convened by INSARAG Steering

Committee on an "as required" basis;• To identify solutions to specific issues;• problems• Dissolved after delivering requested

result;• Reconvened if and when necessary;• Regional Representation



Working Group Work FlowWorking Group Work Flow

INSARAG SteeringCommittee

Medical WG

Training WG

Search Dog WG



OverviewOverview• Establishment of the MWG was proposed at

the 2007 USAR Team Leaders meeting in New Delhi;

• Approved by the INSARAG Steering Committee at its annual meeting in May 2007;

• Convened September 2007;• Comprises representatives from 3 INSARAG

Regions;• Inaugural Meeting: 8 – 10 May 2008; United

Kingdom;• Objective: Develop minimum medical

standards for medical component of USAR team - Annex to be incorporated into the INSARAG Guidelines.



ParticipantsParticipants• Australia• China• Japan• Finland• Germany• Greece• Netherlands• Switzerland• UAE• UK• USA America’s Region• FCSS

Asia Pacific Region

Africa Europe Middle East Region



What do the INSARAG Guidelines Say?What do the INSARAG Guidelines Say?

• INSARAG Guidelines Chp G 7.2• Medical Doctor; Paramedics; Nurses.• Ability to provide advanced life support

for the team (including dogs), assigned personnel and victims encountered;

• Confined space medical operations;• Basic veterinary care;• Camp hygiene.



ANNEX HANNEX H: INSARAG Classification : INSARAG Classification Guide for Minimum Acceptable Guide for Minimum Acceptable

CapacitiesCapacities

Medical Care Heavy Medium Light

Team and search dogs

ALS ALS BLS

Patient care from victim access to victim hand-over

ALS ALS BLS



INSARAG EXTERNAL INSARAG EXTERNAL CLASSIFICATION (IEC) CHECKLIST CLASSIFICATION (IEC) CHECKLIST

FOR USAR TEAM CLASSIFIERSFOR USAR TEAM CLASSIFIERS

• Does the USAR team provide emergency medical care in confined spaces?

• Is medical care available to USAR team members?

• Does the USAR team provide medical care to victims from the time of access, during extrication to time of hand over?

• Is medical care available to the Search Dogs?



ObjectiveObjective• Get to know one another• Define MWG Mission Statement• Define a framework



ActionAction• Topics for discussion

..\MWG\MWG Topics For Discussion 09.04.08.doc

medical working group (mwg)

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