Ukraine learns SAR management in Northern Norway

This week a delegation from Ukraine has been in Bodø, Northern Norway to learn more about how the Norwegian Search and Rescue (SAR) system is organized and operates.

The Ukrainians are meeting a wide range of actors in the Norwegian SAR environment while visiting. The National Aviation Authority, the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) and a rescue helicopter base are just a few of the Bodø-based organizations that the Ukrainians meet this week, along with civil society SAR organizations.

The visit is part of the JRCC for Northern Norway and the Nord University Business School’s ongoing work in assisting the developing of the Ukrainian SAR system.

The focus during the visit is on national and international requirements and standards for leadership, coordination and operations, as well as training of rescue workers.

Director Bent-Ove Jamtli at the JRCC says that the learning process during this visit is a two-way one. "The Ukrainians have a lot to learn and have much they need to get going in their own country. However, their contribution also helps us learn, and they have good ideas and questions that add to our own learning process, too."

The Ukrainian delegation consists of the leadership of the national SAR organizations in Ukraine, including the Ukrainian police, SAR NGO’s and Kirovograd Flight Academy.