DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCIES

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
18 Jan 05

In everyday life emergencies may happen at any moment, at peace or at
war. Does everybody manage to take control of the situation, display
strong will power and save not only themselves but also others in
danger? The answer is negative. Surveys show that in accidents people
without the slightest injury become psychologically distressed and as
a result they easily surrender to further developments. Let alone old,
disabled people and children who need help by all means. In such
situations a group of people endowed with physical, moral and
psychological values, facing the imminent danger or in danger already
manage to remain coolheaded, evaluate the danger and save lives
forgetting about their own safety. These people are called rescuers.

Moreover, nowadays when our life is full of events, groups of rescuers
are established, financed, equipped by governments. The problem of
Artsakh and later the war imposed on us determined the necessity of
rescuers. The establishment of rescue teams did not start from
zero. The first steps had been done in 1984 when the graduate of the
Yerevan Institute of Physical Training Aslan Grigorian undertook the
establishment of a tourists club and a rescue team to help the
tourists who got involved in accidents in mountains. The terrible
earthquake in 1988 involved over one third of the territory of Armenia
causing destruction and heavy tall. The situation of the Armenians of
Artsakh was also difficult: they were making their first steps on the
way of the national liberation movement. Only several days after the
earthquake we saw our rescuers at the place of disaster. Working for
18 days with professional rescuers in destroyed Leninakan they
acquired significant experience in rescue works. Immediately after
returning from Leninakan our rescuers seriously started working on
their quality of work and the purposewas one – to create a strong
rescue team. The rescue team `Spitak’ of Armenia had a fundamental
contribution to the fulfillment of the plan (the head of the team was
Movses Poghossian). Recognizing the importance of the matter, the
regional executive committee of the Autonomous Region of Nagorni
Karabakh adopted the decision on the establishment of the rescue
team. A period of great changes was awaiting…

IMPOSED WAR

After the declaration of independence of the Republic of Nagorni
Karabakh Baku started bombing Stepanakert and several adjacent
areas. Everywhere there was need for rescuers. The war instigated by
Azerbaijan imparted the necessity of rescue service as a mobile
structure with new importance. Since January 1992 the rescuers’ group
was re-formed into a subdivision of the Defence Army. As a TV reporter
then I appeared at different parts were military actions went on and
witnessed the self-sacrificing work of rescuers who withdrew the
wounded and provided first medical aid. In total they saved 3 thousand
lives. The service also suffered losses. About twenty
rescuer-azatamartiks were killed during the war. S. Tovmassian
(posthumously), S. Yeremian were awarded the medal `Battle Cross I’,
the medal `Battle Cross II’ was conferred on V. Avagian, G. Gasparian,
more than thirty rescuers were awarded NKR military honours.

PEACETIME

The cease-fire brought peace to the Artsakh land but the post-war
period offered new problems for the rescuers. On January 13, 1995 the
government adopted a decision on the establishment of the NKR
Department for Emergencies. The new status and the attention of the
government towards the department were very important. This was a new
period of accomplishment, creation of subdivisions. In the past 10
years the management of the department took special measures for
professional qualification, improvement of effectiveness of rescue and
restoration works. Special attention was paid to the right orientation
of the population in emergencies and their ability to fight the
danger. For this purpose the workers of the department organize
training exercises during which the effectiveness of bodies dealing
with organization of evacuation, security of people is checked. People,
and especially children involved in training acquire practical
skills. At the same time the representatives of the republic
headquarters of civil defence and heads of communities check the
air-raid shelters and other buildings for sheltering people. The
department cooperates with the British humanitarian organization `The
HALO Trust’. The result of cooperation with this and other
organizations is the disposal of land mines at a number of areas of
the republic. The years of cease-fire became a period of
accomplishment for the department. Presently the Department for
Emergencies has departments of crisis management, training of rescue
forces, instruction of the population, fire rescue forces, etc which
are equipped with modern equipment. The activity of the National
Department for Emergencies was commended by similar organizations
abroad. The NDE of NKR is a full member of the International
Confederation of Rescuers. In October 2004 the team of rescuers of the
special subdivision of the NDE took part in the traditional tournament
in Armenia and won the third prize. And in separate events our team
was leading. Recently the department became ten years old.

NIKOLAY BAGHDASSARIAN.
18-01-2005