Rescue South Africa's Objectives

• To establish an NGO that is completely neutral and representative of all South Africans.
• Carry representation from a broad cross section of the disaster and emergency services fraternity throughout all provinces including governmental, non-governmental and private entities.
• Formalise a comprehensive disaster response plan including but not limited to equipment, personnel, operational procedures and logistics.
• Create a rapid deployment team equipped to respond to a range of complex emergency and relief events including ongoing rescue operations and mass casualty.
• Limit costs to government through sponsorships and grants.
• Provide primary support to South African local emergency management departments on a national basis.
• Extend our services to SADC countries and other countries in need of this type of service.
• International response.
• Provide training both in the emergency services as well as the private sector.
• Liaise with UN INSARAG and other international rescue bodies
• Liaise with USAID.
• Continuous modular training of specialised rescue techniques

Training Equipment

Purchased training cache – warehoused at 68, Rigger Road, Isando (Medhold) (Cache funded by USAID)

What Can Be Expected From Rescue SA?

1. We organise and facilitate co-operation between all relevant bodies with the aim of rendering the best possible technical rescue and emergency medical care, should such a need arise.
2. In the event of such an emergency use specialised equipment from our cache to respond if an official request is made to us.
3. During international rescue operations to represent South Africa with pride in a positive, professional manner.

Incidents Rescue South Africa Have Responded To

• Earthquake - Marmara Region, Turkey, 1999 (USAR).
• Floods (Humanitarian aid) Southern Mozambique, 2000.
• Earthquake – Gujarat, India 2001 (USAR).
• Volcanic eruption – Goma, DRC, 2002 – Aid assessment.
• Various calls Pretoria (eg 2 x building collapse – 1 x trench collapse etc).
• Various standbys e.g., (1) September 11 2001 USA (2) Iran earthquake June 2002
• Earthquake – Algeria 2003 (combined operation with SANDF)
• Earthquake – Iran 2003
• Earthquake – Pakistan 2005
• Trench collapse, Waterworld, Johannesburg 2005
• Conceptualised and facilitated with National Disaster Management, USAID and Gauteng Local Government the ‘Train the trainer’ for urban search and rescue – Boksburg 2006.
• Ongoing training of urban search and rescue technicians nationwide
• Attended training international training exercise at Fort Widely, Portsmouth, United Kingdom as part of an international rescue task force (USA, SA and Ireland).
• Structural collapse Roodepoort 2008 – logistical and technical support
• Earthquake – Haiti – January 2010
• Aircraft accident – Congo Brazzaville – August 2010 – mortal remains recovery