EMERCOM - The Russian Emergency Situations Ministry
Russia’s EMERCOM assisting the US after Sandy
12 November 2012, 19:13
A true unsung hero of the modern world is the Russian Federation’s Emergency
Situations Ministry or EMERCOM. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week they are ready
to respond to any emergency, anywhere on the planet. Selflessly and
tirelessly fulfilling their mission and asking nothing in return. The
thousands of professionals at EMERCOM save a life every 12 minutes,
something that is truly an admirable feat.
The Emergency Situations Ministry of the Russian Federation, or EMERCOM
(derived from "Emergency Control Ministry”) as it is known internationally,
has dispatched 2 huge Ilyushin-76 (IL-76) cargo aircraft loaded with
humanitarian aid to the United States for victims of Hurricane Sandy.
The aircraft lifted off from the Ramenskoye Airfield near Moscow which has
ideally long runways to help facilitate the taking offs and landings of the
huge aircraft. The two planes were loaded down with more than 50 tons of
emergency supplies on board for those hardest hit by the hurricane in the
United States.
This is not the first time that EMERCOM has assisted with the aftermath of
Hurricane Sandy. Immediately after the hurricane hit Cuba EMERCOM was there
delivering building materials and emergency supplies to the Cuban people at
the request of the government of the Republic of Cuba.
During that operation EMERCOM delivered over 32 tons of building materials
to assist in the rebuilding of the 1,000s of homes that Hurricane Sandy
destroyed.
The Ministry does not seek publicity or glory or play politics with its
assistance, as is evidenced by its
web site and
the short, even terse, news releases that it distributes regarding its
operations. It is in the business of assisting those in need and takes that
mission very seriously indeed.
According EMERCOM Minister Vladimir Puchkov, speaking at a forum in early
October, EMERCOM had carried out 40 humanitarian operations overseas since
the beginning of the year. That was before Sandy and several other disasters
worldwide.
Not only is the ministry assisting people in need internationally, according
to Vladimir Puchkov: EMERCOM rescue teams save a person’s life every 12
minutes, EMERCOM firefighters put out 300-400 fires a day, EMERCOM emergency
response teams and helicopter rescue teams respond to a seemingly endless
stream of road accidents and EMERCOM bomb disposal experts defuse from 100
to 200 explosive devices every 24 hours.
Almost every week EMERCOM evacuates Russian citizens in distress from around
the globe. Recently parachutist
Irina Sinitsyna who
was critically injured in California while attempting to break a world
parachuting record was airlifted by EMERCOM from California back to Moscow
on an aircraft equipped with an aerial emergency room staffed by five
doctors, the plane flew non-stop from California and safely delivered Irina
to Moscow but unfortunately despite the efforts of all involved she died
tragically on October 2nd at Burdenko Neurological Clinic.
Apart from California, Cuba, and New York EMERCOM has been to more locations
in the last year than most of us make it to in a lifetime. So far this year
this includes most of Europe, Thailand, the Caribbean, Cyprus, India, Sri
Lanka, all over the territory of the former Soviet Union, the Middle East
and more.
In 2011 70 international search and rescue operations were carried out by
the Ministry in such places as Austria, Italy, Serbia, Turkey, Tunisia,
Libya, Kyrgyzstan and Japan.
The current operation to assist the US is not the first for EMERCOM, after
the US was hit by Hurricane Katrina the Russian Emergency Situations
Ministry was there to assist in September 2005. Three
EMERCOM planes delivered more than 60 tons of humanitarian aid, including
medical supplies, rations, tents and blankets.
The birth date of the Ministry, for some is a point of argument; officially
the Ministry of Emergency Situations was founded on January 10, 1994 by an
order from then President Boris Yeltsin. However some consider the real date
of birth as being December 27, 1990, when the Russian Rescue Corps was
founded and assigned a similar mission.
Currently the Head of Ministry is Vladimir Puchkov, who was appointed by
President Vladimir Putin on May 17, 2012, and who replaced the first head of
the ministry, Sergey Shoigu, who was at the helm for 16 years.
Currently EMERCOM is working with countries worldwide, including the US, to
assist in responding more effectively to disasters anywhere they might
occur.
For EMERCOM rescuers and professionals their mission is a serious one and
their only reward is in a job well done. They do not seek publicity or
fanfare, and most of the staff will tell you, when they save a life, that is
enough.
So while some countries are engaged in wars, killing, regime changing and
using promises of assistance to further geopolitical goals, all over the
world Russia is quietly saving lives and assisting those in need, and asking
nothing in return.
The opinions and views expressed here are the writer’s own. He can be
reached at jar2@list.ru
Russia’s humanitarian aid arrives in New York
Russian humanitarian aid has arrived in New York, which has recently
suffered from the destructive super-storm Sandy. Almost 50 tons of blankets,
foodstuffs, medicaments and relief goods have been flown in by two
Emergencies Ministry aircraft.
The cargo is due to be distributed among residents of New York and New
Jersey who have suffered from the elements.
Sandy hit the US northeastern coast in late October, claiming more than 100
human lives and inflicting damage to the tune of over 50 billion dollars.
Earlier, the Russian Emergencies Ministry sent several planes with
foodstuffs, medicaments and tents to Cuba, which had also been battered by
Sandy.
Russia sends humanitarian aid to New York
Russia’s Emergency Ministry has sent a plane with humanitarian aid to New
York for the people who suffered from the Sandy storm.
Two Il-76 planes with 40 tons of cargo including blankets and articles of
daily necessities have taken off from the airport in Ramenskoye in the
Moscow region, the ministry's official said Tuesday.
Sandy-pummeled NYC to receive Russian aid
After delays caused by paperwork, two Russian flights will leave for New
York on Tuesday carrying 27 tons of blankets and other household items to
people who lost their homes to Hurricane Sandy.
Sandy is known to have claimed over 100 American lives, including more than
40 in the Big Apple.
UN to learn lessons from poor preparations for hurricane Sandy
The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said that the United Nations will
learn lessons from what errors it made while preparing for hurricane Sandy,
which paralyzed the operation of the international organization’s
headquarters in New York.
According to him, the UN building basement was the worst damaged by floods,
which caused the cooling system to develop malfunction, with the subsequent
faulty operation of communications systems.
This proved of special concern to the delegations of the UN member-states,
since many of these failed to get timely information about the operation of
the UN headquarters.
According to Ban Ki-moon, this was due to the fact that the UN Secretariat
had old and no longer valid email addresses of permanent missions.
The United Nations was nonoperational for six days due to the hurricane that
hit New York last week.
US ambassador thanks Russia for Sandy relief aid
US Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul has thanked Moscow for the relief aid
it sent to storm-hit New York.
“Thank you for help, Russia,” he tweeted on Monday.
Russia’s emergency agency has dispatched two IL-76 aircraft loaded with
humanitarian aid to New York, devastated by hurricane Sandy. The two Il-76
cargo-jets will each carry 27 tones of blankets and other essentials. Voice of Russia, Interfax, TASS
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