By Politico Staff Writer
The National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) through its Directorate of Relief and Response has organized a one-day symposium on Aeronautical Search and Rescue (A-SAR) for various state actors in ensuring effective emergency preparedness and response.
Speaking at the event on 18th July 2023, World Bank Disaster Management Expert Paul Murphy who was the lead facilitator said that the objective of the symposium is to discuss and identify strategies to save lives and provide help to people who are stranded, lost, and injured, or facing life-threatening situations typically in a remote or hazardous environment.
In addition, he stated that the symposium seeks to look at coordinated efforts and operations that are conducted to locate, assist, and extract individuals who are in distress.
Murphy spoke on the location and detection of missing and distressed individuals, stating that will be done through the use of various tools and techniques such as tracking devices, aerial reconnaissance, trained search dogs, and other specialized equipment.
He said they will look at the provision of medical assistance to injured individuals, extraction and evacuation of individuals from hazardous environments using technical rope, helicopter or boat rescues, or other specialized extraction methods.
Drone pilot and instructor Darry Ashford-Smith who joined the symposium via Zoom explained that the use of drones in search and rescue (SAR) operations is now common and valuable in recent years.
Speaking on the relevance of drones, he said they offer several advantages that make them suited for search and rescue missions.
“Aerial perspective drones provide a bird's-eye view of the search area, allowing rescuers to cover large and inaccessible terrain more efficiently than ground-based teams”
He said that they can fly at various altitudes and capture images and video footage that will help to spot potential victims, hazards, or areas of interest. “Rapid deployment drones can be launched quickly, minimizing response times during critical situations. Their agility and ability to navigate challenging environments, such as disaster-stricken areas, make them valuable tools for time-sensitive operations,” he added.
Ashford-Smith explained that by using drones the SAR teams can reduce the risk to human responders, especially in hazardous situations, stating that drones can assess potential dangers before sending human teams into the area.
He however stated that even though drones offer numerous benefits, they require skills, proper planning, adherence to regulations, and airspace restrictions amongst others. “Integrating drones with traditional SAR techniques can significantly enhance search capabilities and increase the likelihood of successful rescue missions,” the instructor said.
Deputy Director-General of NDMA John Vandi Rogers said the symposium is aimed at building the capacity of the various state institutions that are charged with the responsibility to conduct search and rescue operations.
He said NDMA with support from the Roberts Flight Information Region (Robert FIR) in Liberia established an aeronautical search and rescue sub-centre at the newly constructed Freetown International Airport.
Rogers added that its establishment immensely contributed to Sierra Leone's high score on the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) assessment report in 2022.
Section 11(s) of the NDMA Act of 2020 states the Agency is mandated to cooperate with other countries and relevant institutions in disaster prevention, mitigation, and search and rescue operations.
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