News item | 31-01-2025 | 12:00
This week the Dutch USAR.nl is again classified as ‘Heavy Team’. Since its foundation in 2003, the team has been a member of Insarag (Link) under the flag of the UN. Every five years, USAR teams are tested whether they still meet the requirements set for international rescue teams. In addition, they can be classified as light, medium or heavy team.
With the Heavy Team classification, USAR.nl shows that she can handle the most difficult rescue actions in urban areas. The team works according to international agreements and is also able to coordinate international rescue actions. Hereby a team must be completely self -sufficient for at least ten days in order not to burden a affected country anymore.
Last week the team played in a European exercise in Portugal, together with various other European USAR and Medical Teams. For usar.nl an internationally compiled team of classifiers Present that the Dutch rated on the basis of a long list of requirements. After four days and nights there was the redeeming word: this time too USar.nl can again wear the coveted ‘Insarag Heavy Team’ badge.
USAR.nl since 2003
Over the years, USar.nl was deployed after earthquakes in Morocco (2003), Pakistan (2005), Haiti (2010), Nepal (2015) and Turkey (2023). The team on Sint-Maarten also helped after Hurricane Irma (2017) and searched for survivors in the port of Beirut, Lebanon after a heavy explosion (2020). During the bets in Nepal, Lebanon and Turkey, the team played a coordinating role in the USAR deployment of all international rescue teams. With this work, the team always tries to offer troubleshooting of the most horrible disasters hope, comfort and perspective.
The team was recently deployed in The Hague for the devastating explosion at the wheat camp. A person was found and saved. Usar.nl classified as a Heavy Team in 2007 and managed to reclassify itself in 2011, 2019 and 2025.