The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in partnership with Asian Disaster Preparedness Center organized a formal ceremony to handover light search and rescue equipment, first aid items, and steel containers for safe storage to the Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence Directorate (FSCD) on 16 February, 2016. The items will be used by the FSCD and its urban community volunteers to respond to future emergencies affecting people living in urban areas.

Asian Disaster Preparedness Center, through the Strengthening Earthquake Resilience in Bangladesh (SERB) program, has provided members of the fire service and urban volunteers with advanced training on the use of these equipment. The trained personnel can work together and act as first responders in times of emergency’s and post-disaster scenarios.

U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh H.E. Ms. Mercia Bernicat and Secretary of Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh Mr. Md. Shah Kamal handed over the equipment to FSCD and the volunteers during a formal ceremony in Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh.

This is the second tranche of equipment that has been handed over for 9 fire stations in Mymensingh, Tangail, Gazipur and Dhaka under SERB program. The first tranche of equipment was given to FSCD for 12 fire stations in Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet in November 2014.

Click here to watch NTV News's report of the handover ceremony (in Bengali).

The Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence and its urban community volunteers display the search and rescue equipment.

The search and rescue equipment were handed over to Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence by U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh H.E. Ms. Mercia Bernicat and Secretary of Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief Mr. Md. Shah Kamal.