Sharing SAR expertise and experience is one of the IMRF's main aims. Ten members of Malta's St John Rescue Corps recently had a week's training with various rescue organisations based in the lake area of Konstanz in Germany.

The SJRC members were hosted by the Federal Agency for Technical Relief. The trip was fully funded through the EU Civil Protection Exchange of Experts Program.

The training included shoring of collapsed buildings, high angle rescue techniques, diving and rescue by boat, and setting up a medical camp. The different organisations' members worked to-gether and exchanged experiences on their different techniques.

During this trip the SJRC team also travelled to Austria to observe a national exercise, and to visit the all-volunteer Fire Department of Rankweil to view their set-up.

The SJRC regularly organises overseas training in order to keep its members highly trained and motivated. Last November, for example, 21 members attended a Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service Urban SAR training course in Liverpool, UK.

The trip to Konstanz served to forge new international partnerships with highly respected organisations. Plans are in progress to reciprocate by hosting these organisations in Malta for training next year.

Want to know more about opportunities to learn from each other? Contact [email protected].