A multinational EU project led by Malta’s Emergency Fire and Rescue Unit ‘Synergising European Volunteer Rescue Teams’ is bringing together volunteer rescue teams from across Europe work together to fine-tune rescue techniques and practices.

The teams are members of the European Association of Civil Protection Volunteer Teams, (Evolsar), of which Malta is president. The Erasmus+ project is the first of its kind but is the fruit of a legacy that started several years ago and which was significantly strengthened over the past twelve months.

This project’s first training activity put Malta in the spotlight with four full days of rescue operations in simulated scenarios, round-table discussions and extra-curricular activities.

The rescue operations varied not only in type and methods but also in terms of locations, terrain and the contextual frameworks in which they were carried out.

The methods and techniques ranged from high-angle rescue to confined space and urban search and rescue, all within varying surroundings: from cliff faces to undulating clay dunes and from the bouldering shores to underground tunnels and the built-up environment.

Throughout the training, rescuers from different volunteering teams and of different nationalities worked together in multinational groups to conduct good rescue practices and extract casualties in the most effective manner.