During the exercise, an Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) was activated by District Collectors in aforesaid districtson March 16th 2018. AKAH India’s teams received a call from the EOC to deploy its national level Search & Rescue and Disaster Assessment and Response teams following an earthquake emergency. AKAH India responded to the call and immediatelydeployed 16 members of its teamatSurendranagar, 20 in Rajkot and 5 in Gandhinagar simultaneously. In Surendranagar, AKAH’s team carried out post disaster assessment and search and rescue operations in a high rise building, along with a battalion of the Indian Army and the State Fire Brigade services. The search and rescue operation was carried out at a shopping mall and the District Collectorate building,resulting in the rescue of six causalities at the shopping mall and five at theDistrict Collectoratebuilding. In Rajkot, AKAH’s team responded bysupportingthe District Health Department through mass causality management, causality transportation and first aid to disaster victims. InGandhinagar, AKAH’s teams performed rescue operations with the State Fire Brigade Services.
This is the first instance of AKAH India’sengagement with Indian Army, Fire Brigade, Police, Civil Defense, Home Guard, Public Works Department and other emergency response agencies with deployment of its full capacity in carrying out search and rescue operations. Our teams have successfully carried out these activities and were appreciated for their efforts by Disaster Management Authorities and other response agencies for providing effective and timely response, carrying out emergency rapid assessment, search and rescue operations and mass causality management, especially in a scenario involving total breakdown of communication lines and public infrastructure.
