Rescue teams rise to the challenge

Civilian groups play key role during emergencies

After a deadly earthquake struck Sichuan province last month, an emergency response system was quickly activated and work teams were sent to provide guidance in rescue and disaster relief as well as conduct safety inspections.

The Ministry of Emergency Management acted promptly after the magnitude 6 quake hit Changning county, Yibin, on the night of June 17, killing 13 people and leaving 220 injured.

Along with more than 500 firefighters sent by the government, hundreds of volunteers from civilian rescue teams joined the race against time to find survivors.

Blue Sky Rescue, a nongovernmental humanitarian organization founded in Beijing in 2007, responded to the alert immediately and set up its own coordination center.

Zhang Yong, captain and head of BSR, said experts from the center used an assessment process to gather data and deliver a general report on the quake within half an hour, including the possible damage and losses.

At the same time, a local "information detection" team left for the disaster area to gain firsthand knowledge of the situation, Zhang said.

The team arrived at the quake epicenter in Changning county to check conditions and gain a rough idea of casualties and property damage.

"We then relayed the information back to government departments as well as our own coordination center for further analysis and decisions," Zhang said. "If the situation were worse than we first thought, the advance team could also turn into a separate rescue squad to provide emergency assistance."

Sometimes, the detection team may be the only source of information, especially when roads to a disaster area are blocked and communication signals are interrupted.

After assessing the situation following last month's quake, BSR sent in teams that arrived on the scene within two to three hours. There was no urgent need for additional volunteers.

Zhang said that after the devastating magnitude 8 earthquake in Wenchuan, Sichuan province in 2008, which killed nearly 70,000 people, the quality of housing construction in the province was strengthened and the emergency response mechanism further developed.

At the time, the nation's volunteer rescue force began to grow rapidly, and according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, there are now more than 1,200 civilian rescue teams in China.