New basic rescue manual launched by Emergency Fire & Rescue Unit

Home Affairs Minister Michael Farrugia yesterday visited the Emergency Fire & Rescue Unit (EFRU) where he was presented with a copy of a new basic rescue manual that was recently launched by the unit at an event held in Malta that brought together more than 150 rescue volunteers from around the world.

The Unit’s director, Ivan Barbara, said that the manual, which is the first of its kind and is intended to provide a set of rescuerelated guidelines for volunteer teams, is currently being used by several volunteer organisations in more than nine countries. The director said that the EFRU is working towards establishing a European Academy for Volunteer Rescue Training, which would be located in Malta, in order to enhance the preparedness of local and European civil protection volunteer teams whilst also creating a new niche in the tourism industry.

He complimented the voluntary organisation for its continuous hard work and dedication in supporting the Civil Protection Department in emergencies and assisting the community when necessary.

The basic rescue manual, entitled Rescue Techniques for Emergency Response – an Introductory Manual for European Volunteer Rescuers, was part of a two-year project led by the all-Maltese EFRU and funded by the Erasmus+ KA2 Strategic Partnerships, together with five other volunteer teams from around Europe.

The project’s objective was to bring together volunteering teams from all over Europe and beyond to work together in search-and-rescue training, to share and identify best practices and to synchronise methods with the aim of increasing their readiness to intervene in large-scale disasters, as well as facilitating interoperability between teams from different countries.

The Minister said that EFRU is trained to help the Civil Protection Department and the community (through its Community Assistance Programme) in several emergency situations that relate not only to major fire incidents, but also urban search and rescue, cliff rescue and first aid.

Farrugia recognised the organisation’s work and efforts and added that the government supports the initiatives taken by voluntary organisations in assisting other entities with regard to civil protection and assisting in emergency situations as well as saving lives.