Armenia is highly prone to natural disasters. Earthquakes, landslides and floods as well as man-made disasters occur frequently, seriously affecting the population and challenging the responsible authorities. To deal with disasters and to reduce disaster risks the Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) was formed in 2008 as a national agency and policy maker in this field. In 2014, it was merged with the Ministry of Territorial Administration (MTAES). Over the past years, disaster risk reduction has gained considerably in importance. Still, the Armenian rescue system remains under-developed especially with regard to complex situations such as a major earthquakes, when knowledgeable and well equipped teams are needed to rescue trapped victims, to control the situation and to collaborate with other emergency services including Urban Search and Rescue teams from other countries.

The project's overall goal is to save Jives and to reduce economic losses as a consequence of disaster events through strengthening the decentralized response system and improving response capacities of the responsible national government institutions.

Master trainers/instructors of the Crisis Management Academy, fire fighters-rescuers and key staff of the Armenian Rescue Service Population of Lori and Tavush regions (as final beneficiaries).

Outcome 1: Two additional Regional Rapid Response Teams are integrated into the existing response plans and able to adequately respond to disaster events on national and regional levels coordinated by the central and regional governmental offices respectively.

Outcome 2: A high quality system for continuous training of Regional Rapid Response Team members is operational.

Principaux résultats attendus:  

Output 1: Two RegionalRapid Response Teams in the regions of Lori and Tavush are built-up with appropriate staffing and adequate equipment.

Output 2: The deployment and coordination procedure for Regional Rapid Response Teams is improved and tested.

Output 3: 10 additional Regional Rapid Response Team staffs per region are trained and able to transfer the knowledge received in train-the trainer courses to the other members of the two new teams.

Output 4: 94 additional members of Regional Rapid Response Teams are trained for effective response operations and equipment handling during exercises and disasters.

Output 5: The curriculum and training materials of the Crisis Management Academy are revised and published and equipment to cover training needs is provided to the Academy.

Output 6: 5 additional Academy instructors are trained and able to support the transfer of knowledge to Regional Rapid Response Team members.

Output 7: Crisis Management Academy and Armenian Rescue Service key staff participates In two relevant international events to keep the Regional Rapid Response Teams' capacities updated.

Principaux résultats antérieurs:  

Based on the solid grounds created by the Ardzagank" and "Medical Units" projects in 2004-2014, SDC supported the MES/MTAES in 2013-2014 in the creation, training and equipment of three Regional Rapid Response Teams In the Yerevan, Shirak and Syunik regions. A total of 141 staff is available for deployments that require advanced capacities to autonomously operate in complex situations. The capacities built-up allow to extend a comprehensive response in case of disasters to 51% of the country's population.

The projec's phase II builds on the capacities in rescue and emergency medicine built-up during phase I and in the frame of the "Medical units" project, respectively. It integrates experience gained in the frame of SDC's entire DRR portfolio in Armenia. Synergies with other organisations in this field such as the Polish Rescue Service, JICA and UNDP as well as with SDC's technical assistance program in the sphere of local governance and decentralization will be exploited where possible.

Phase 2 01.03.2015 - 30.11.2016   (Completed)