ICE-SAR learned the mitigation of landscape and wildfires
At the beginning of June, Icelandic volunteers had the opportunity to visit Estonia. The delegation, mainly made up of coordinators, spent a week learning from Estonian volunteer rescuers how to extinguish forest and landscape fires. They visited the professional rescuers of Loksa and Rakvere and the Võsu Volunteer Rescue Association, and the Icelandic volunteers also took part in a major exercise of the technical rescue unit in Oisu.
In Tallinn, they visited the Mines Harbour and the activities of the JRCC there - how sea rescue is organised in Estonia. The Icelanders also shared their experience and knowledge on how Estonia could develop its own sea rescue capacity.
In Loksa and Rakvere, Icelandic volunteers were introduced to the machinery and equipment used by professionals in their daily work to extinguish forest and landscape fires.
One day of the visit was focused on the city of Narva, during which we introduced our colleagues to Estonia's relations with Russia, the hostile actions of the enemy on the eastern border, and spoke about the situation in Ukraine based on the experience of the Rescue Union.
We would like to thank the volunteer sea rescuers from Narva-Jõesuu who introduced the Icelandic guests to the Narva reservoir area, the local Venice and also talked about the situation with the Russian border guards.
A large part of the visit was spent with the Võsu volunteers, who taught the Icelanders from start to finish how forest and landscape fires are extinguished during a two-day training programme. Instructed by Rauno Olavi Ruut and Risto Roomet, they learned how to use a motor pump both on a car and when pumping from a body of water. They used a swimming pool and, most importantly, extinguished a large forest fire near Võsu harbour in a playful scenario.
The highlight of the exercise was the participation in a major exercise of the technical rescue unit in Oisu. They were tasked with mapping the surrounding buildings, with which the Icelanders contributed directly to Estonia's internal security.
At the end of the memorable trip, all the guests were very satisfied and happy to be able to take their knowledge back to their home commands around Iceland and also to consolidate the knowledge they will need to make their homes safer in the future.
Photos: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCh9Aa
Author: Hendrik Tali / Päästeliit
Thanks to everyone who contributed to the visit:
Erasmus+
Võsu volunteer rescue command
Narva-Jõesuu volunteer maritime rescue
Loksa rescue command
Rakvere rescue command
Võsu volunteer rescue command
Narva-Jõesuu volunteer maritime rescue
Loksa rescue command
Rakvere rescue command
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