Asian tsunami: Operational response and lessons learned
S K Dogra, Director of Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services, introduces this special section looking at the impact of the Asian tsunami, as experienced by those who actually responded to the event. This feature section includes the following articles:
The international aid perspective
Editorial Advisory Panel member Toni Frisch was overall co-ordinator of the Swiss Government's aid response to the tsunami. In this interview with Emily Hough, he presents his observations on the international response, and identifies lessons learned. He says that Banda Aceh in Indonesia was probably the worst situation he has ever seen in his 25-year career in humanitarian aid work, but reminds us that : "The next tsunami may be a hundred years away, but there are hundreds of conflicts and thousands of people dying around the world and nothing is being done."
Emergency rescue response in Thailand
Thailand's response to the tsunami prompted both praise and criticism - some called the emergency response slow, while other nations thanked the authorities for their leadership and handling of the crisis, writes Laura Wilshaw. The most prominent issue that has arisen since the tsunami is the importance of disaster planning. Prior to the disaster, thai authorities had been developing disaster strategies, and these were implemented in hospitals, but it was in pre-hospital care that these plans fell down.
Crisis management co-ordination
R Santhanam, who acts as State Relief Commissioner for Tamil Nadu in times of disaster, outlines governmental rescue and relief operations, saying that the tsunami has shown more needs to be done to promote preparedness.
Military rescue across the region
The Army, Coast Guards and Navy were directly involved in rescue and relief missions across the region. Commodore Thayi Hari, the most senior naval officer in Chennai, describes the Navy's role in India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, the Maldives and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Fire Service operations
Divisional Officers from Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services share their experiences and observations of the rescue efforts after the waves struck. Much of their efforts involved rescuing stranded people and firefighting in areas made inaccessible by the tsunami damage, but the bulk of the operation consisted of removing hundreds of dead bodies.
Relief to rehabilitation - capacity building
Mr Thiruppugazh, Joint Chief Executive Officer of the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority, played a key role in the reconstruction, rehabilitation and long-term disaster management capacity building in Gujarat after its devastating earthquake in 2001. Here, he shares his views about the reconstruction challenges that lie ahead, warning against quick-fix solutions and saying that disasters can create a window of opportunity for upgrading facilities and for providing better infrastructure than those that existed before a disaster.
All these articles appear in Issue II of 'Crisis Response Journal', which is available by subscription only.
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