IAFF Members Join USAR Earthquake Rescue Effort
Hatay, Iskenderun, Turkey, on Feb. 7, 2023. / Credit: Doga Ayberk Demir via Shutterstock
By Tammy Leytham
When earthquakes struck Turkey and Syria on Feb. 6, members of the International Association of Fire Fighters responded as part of three Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams in search of survivors.
The death toll has surpassed 47,000 in the two countries, with that number expected to climb in the coming weeks. Millions of others have been displaced.
“Our USAR team members are dedicated firefighters trained to work in harrowing situations,” said IAFF General President Edward Kelly in a press release. “Their training and resources are vital to supporting disaster operations.
“We pray for their safety as they work to help others,” he continued, “and we keep the people of Turkey and Syria in our prayers as they recover from this devastating earthquake.”
IAFF General Secretary-Treasurer Frank Líma said IAFF members are assisting people who face an unimaginable level of devastation.
“But what our members are doing is important. They are bringing trapped victims to safety and giving hope to Turkish and Syrian citizens,” Líma said. “I know our members will stay focused and do everything they can to perform this vital work safely. The IAFF is proud of our USAR members and thanks them for everything they do.”
Within 48 hours of the 7.8 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes, several USAR teams were on the ground. They included Virginia Task Force 1, consisting of Fairfax County Local 2068 members; the Los Angeles County Fire Department USAR Team, made up of Local 1014 members; and Burnaby Urban Search and Rescue of British Columbia, consisting of Burnaby Local 323 and White Rock Local 2407.
The teams – which also include doctors, structural engineers, and search dogs – have searched thousands of structures.
Days after the disaster, victims were still being found alive. On Feb. 10, the Burnaby USAR Team found and rescued a female survivor from a collapsed apartment building. Team members say her presence was detected by one of the dogs. It took more than five hours to get her safely from under the rubble. Other survivors were pulled from the rubble after as many as 278 hours, including a teenager.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the devastated region on Feb. 19, pledging $100 million in additional disaster relief aid, which brings total American assistance to $185 million, CNN reported. The U.S. also sent approximately 1.8 million pounds of relief supplies for survivors – shelter, kitchen sets, blankets, and hygiene kits, with more on the way, he said.
During his visit, Blinken met with several first responders, including members of the search and rescue teams from Los Angeles and Fairfax County, where he lives.
“All of them have seen the staggering toll of this catastrophe. All of them are committed to being there for our friends in this moment,” Blinken said.