Kenya, China partnership targets professional volunteer rescue force

Nairobi, Kenya — The Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) and China’s Blue-Sky Rescue (BSR) are collaborating to establish a nationwide network of professionally trained volunteer rescue teams. This partnership aims to address gaps in emergency response, particularly in areas such as floods, collapsed buildings, and other disasters. The initiative, formalized through a memorandum of understanding signed on August 5, will focus on creating specialized search-and-rescue teams at the county level, backed by standardized training, equipment, and operational protocols.

BSR will establish a joint office at the KRCS headquarters to provide technical support and training. A key goal is for Kenya to prepare teams for the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) Light Classification, a benchmark for urban search-and-rescue teams under the United Nations humanitarian response system.

This could enhance Kenya's response to major disasters and enable the sharing of rescue expertise with neighboring countries. Practical training took place at the Kenya Army’s Humanitarian and Peace Support School, where KRCS and Kenya Army personnel learned urban search and rescue techniques, including shoring, structural support, breaching, confined-space operations, and swift-water rescue.

Raymond Odhiambo, a KRCS trainee, praised the training for its practicality and skill-building potential. The partnership is broader than the Red Cross, with discussions underway to extend training to elite official rescue personnel from all counties, with a focus on water rescue due to Kenya's flood-prone conditions. BSR is also engaging businesses, non-profits, and government institutions to join the rescue network, encouraging participation from the Chinese community in Kenya.

The initiative aims to provide cost-effective rescue capacity, making it adaptable for other developing nations.