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Q: Are ICDO training courses free programme is twofold: one for people services have become an important
of charge? working in the field of civil defence part of the national security policy.
and emergency response; and one Each country is trying to develop its
During the pilot phase they are for the general public dealing with own system. The main responsibility
free of charge. At a later stage we topics such as disaster preparedness, for this falls on the governments. We
are going to charge fees for these how to provide first aid, etc. are working with them. Of course,
courses. Our aim is not to get profit. it depends upon the availability of
Nevertheless, the system needs tech- Q: Tell us more about the train- funds. We receive grants and some-
nical support every day. It is a non- ing of professional civil defence times our donors tell us exactly what
stop process and we need to cover workers. they want us to do with their money.
our expenses. Let me give you an For example, to set up prevention
example. If we create a new course, Recently I attended the Sendai centres, or to use funds in a particu-
it may have a trial period of a couple Conference. The key message that lar country. Sometimes our donors
of months, perhaps six months. We we heard coming from the majority ask us to assist them in delivering hu-
will then develop it further based on of the delegations was: "We need manitarian assistance. For instance,
the feedback we have received -- we training, training and more training." we are at present delivering wheat
will aim at improving it. In order to Evidently, it is very important. Train- flour from Russia to refugees from
be able to cover all these expenses, ing is the basis for successful fight the Central African Republic based
the users will be asked to participate against disasters, unfortunately in Cameroon. Recently, a ship deli-
so as to keep the system running and many countries the level of prepared- vered 1,500 tons of wheat flour from
to improve it. ness of the civil defence/civil protec- the ICDO. So we have the potential to
tion staff is still very low. During this fulfil any task that our Member States
Q: You have some Member summer I went to Equatorial Guinea. ask us to do. We have the capacity,
States with significant financial This year they have started to mo- the staff.
resources and other that do not dernize their civil defence system.
have them. How do you manage to I had the chance to meet with the What is even more important is that
help those who need help? President and, if everything goes we have the support of our Member
well, we will send our team of experts States. We have excellent relations
We are doing everything we can to and will start to work out a concept with all national civil defence orga-
help those Member States that need for further development of the civil nizations and emergency services of
aid. We have several programmes to protection system for the country. our Member States. This is the main
help them. Every year we are deliver- reason for our success.
ing to our Member States what we Our goal is also to ameliorate the
call light rescue equipment. As Swit- level of professional training in gene- Q: It seems that you are a huge f-
zerland is renewing its national and ral. We will ask specialised institu- mily. Is this true?
cantonal warehouses, the govern- tions in the field of civil defence -- in
ment of Switzerland has placed all Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Belo- You are absolutely right. For the last
of its old equipment at our disposal russia, Kyrgyzstan and Tunisia --to couple of months, I have received
free of charge. So we deliver it to our prepare new contents for the courses several letters that contain exactly
Member States. Last year, we deliver- of civil defence specialists. This will, these words: "we are very happy to be
ed eighteen containers of equipment of course, include the use of modern in this big international civil defence
to our Member States accompanied technologies. Next year we are also family." We conduct a lot of meetings,
by teams teaching them how to use planning to organise special trai- conferences, etc., and we also receive
it. We now have a new project deal- ning for governmental officials who, many visitors at ICDO. It is very
ing with the establishment of ICDO in case of disaster have to cooperate important that we know each other
emergency warehouses in our Mem- with civil defence structures. For better. Recently we have created a ca-
ber States. For instance, in this par- example, we'll send experts to Senegal lendar of important dates for civil de-
ticular case we are working with the for ten days or so. These experts will fence organizations of our Member
Togolese Republic, and we are in the carry out courses for the mayors of States and we have introduced a tra-
process of developing a second one Senegalese towns, for some govern- dition to send greeting letters to civil
in Kyrgyzstan. All of this equipment mental officials - for those, who must defence organizations of Member
is sent either to our own warehouses have knowledge on how to react in States on their holidays. This helps
or to those of our Member States. In case the disaster strikes. to create a positive, friendly atmos-
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the event of an emergency, this will phere within the organization.
provide some additional resources Q: Civil defence includes many dif-
and be of great use to the local orga- ferent topics -- firefighting, natio-
nizations. nal disaster preparedness, protec- We at Diva were happy with Mr Kur
tion from floods... It's such a huge shinov's election and grateful tliei
We are also providing training activ- domain. he found time in his busy schedule LO
ities for our members. As I have speak to us.
already told you we have different You are absolutely right. Today civil
training projects. Our training protection/defence and emergency

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