Functioning as a an army ready for fight, work and for produce, the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) has always played a core role in overcoming the consequences in case of natural disasters or incidents. Nowadays, as bad weather, natural disasters continue to increase with complex development,  promoting  this work  in the VPA is a critical task.

ARDEX 13 was successfully held in Vietnam in October 2013

Locating in the main affected area of global climate change and being in the course of industrialization and modernization, our country  suffers from a high rate of natural calamities and incidents with increasing seriousness. In 2012 alone, there were 3,400 cases nationwide, including 360 natural disasters, 996 sea and river accidents; 1,543 fires…causing more than 1,700 casualties and hundreds of billions VN dong of losses to the State, the military and the people. Therefore, natural disaster control and prevention, search and rescue (SAR) is an important task of the whole Party and people of which the VPA plays a core role.

Grasping the issue, for the past years, under the leadership and direction of the National SAR Committee, the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defence, the Department of Search and Rescue (Permanent Office of the National SAR Committee) has been active in its staff work for the Ministry, the General Staff on the issue of documents directing, guiding the VPA in the prevention of natural disasters and incidents and SAR. Every year, agencies and units review, supplement, adjust plans to prevent storms, fires and explosion, forest fires and plans for SAR in line with reality while holding training session, exercising and fulfilling supplying task (human resource and equipment) thoroughly to give out timely and effective response in case of a natural disaster or incident. Notably, units throughout the Army  have clearly grasped their responsibility, considered this as a “fighting task in the peacetime”, strictly observed the guidance of the Ministry, carried out “four on-the-spot guideline” (on-the-spot forces, logistics, assorted means and command), closely coordinated with other forces and localities to create comprehensive strength to successfully fulfill the assigned tasks. …Up to now, supplying systems, SAR stations have been built towards basics, durability, and reasonable layout throughout regions, especially seawards  and in the focus areas of natural disasters… This has created solid foundation for units to improve their ability in preventing natural disasters, incidents, and SAR, helping to  minimize losses in human and property, protect the environment, stabilize people’s lives. In 2012, though the number of cases increased by 24% (in comparison with 2011), loss in human decreased by 17%; the number of people rescued on sea, river increased by 97%. This is because units have carried out synchronous and timely methods in preventing, searching and rescuing. Thereby, the VPA still show their core role in the task of natural disasters control and prevention, SAR.

Besides the achievements, there still remains some insufficiencies in fulfilling the task, such as some party commissions, cadres, and soldiers still haven’t reached their full awareness of the matter, showing their subjective attitude, disregarding the matter; training and exercising in some units haven’t kept up with reality and requirements of the task; the deployment of  forces and equipment haven’t met requirements; coordination between forces at sea and in focus area remains inadequate.

In the coming time, the weather, climate, hydrology in our country are forecasted with complicated, extreme and unpredictable development; whilst social-economic activities are becoming more exciting, embedded in high risk of accidents and incidents. To speed up natural calamity prevention and control, SAR in the VPA, first, units need to attach importance to building, supplementing and completing plans to meet the task’s requirements and reality in each region. The building of plans of units must be built systematically, scientifically, and with highly feasibility; following the task’s requirements and features of each region, especially on the focus direction and areas of natural disasters; being approved hierarchically to set foundation for implementation. Units and agencies need to coordinate closely with localities, survey to grasp the area, especially irrigation structures, topography, inhabitants and forecasts about possible incidents, disasters; plans are to be checked, supplemented and completed on this basis to response to every situation readily and effectively. For those areas which have systems of dykes, dams, lakes or areas which are frequently suffered from floods…, provincial Military Command and Border Guard Command need to perform well their staff work and coordinate closely with other military and local forces to decide on the protective plan, especially in critical area in order to ensure safety for structures and local residents both permanently and in the event of incidents. During the course of building and completing plans, these agencies need to study and anticipate possible situations to set base for the deployment of forces and equipment; decide on urgent tasks, things need to be prepared according to the “four on-the-spot guideline” and coordinate closely with other forces to give out effective response, avoid being put into passive and sudden status.

As shown in practice, the effectiveness of this task depends not only on the number of people and equipment involved. Critical things are the ability, level, skill, and quality of the forces and equipment, especially for those undertaking specialized and concurrent tasks. Therefore, improving the training work to enhance ability in organizing, commanding, operating, SAR for forces is the decisive factor. Base on the annual military and defense instruction of the General Joint Chief of Staff, units need to specify training content on SAR into unified and suitable plans, programs for training, exercising to enhance SAR ability for each force in disaster situation. For specialized forces, training is to be attached importance to enhance the ability in organizing, commanding, practicing skill and mobilizing and coordinating capability among forces in dealing with complicated situations. Special training will be done for cadres and soldiers so that they are highly specialized, skilful in using modern equipment to deal with major incidents, disasters such as: rescuing collapsed buildings; air and sea SAR; overcoming the consequences of an oil spill; biological and chemical disaster; mine rescue…Apart from fulfilling permanent and domestic tasks, this force is also ready to participate in international human relief operations when needed. Concurrent units need to base on their tasks and area of responsibility to decide on appropriate training content; focusing on the two main ones: skilful using  the existing equipment in combination with the new and modern one; in the mean time, they need to have a thorough grasp of general knowledge in preventing and controlling natural disasters, such as: housing and stores reinforcement; using raw and self-improvised material and first-aid methods to operate  in case of a flood or disaster. Defense factories and enterprises need to focus on training employees to grasp producing procedures, safety regulations, especially for those who have direct contact with explosive, propellant, and explosive devices. Besides, boards of command at all levels need to actively coordinate closely with local authorities and local party committees and the related forces in conducting exercises of the approved plans to enhance coordinating capability, create comprehensive strength in natural disasters control and prevention, SAR in each area, especially in key ones. In practice and exercise, the important thing is to keep up with reality, suitable with particular traits of each area; at the same time, attach importance to the implementation of the “four on-the-spot guideline” in order to both prevent effectively and keep control of the situation, stabilize people’s lives when they are separated and isolated in the disaster.

In the context of deep and comprehensive international integration, our country needs to further broaden cooperation with other countries in the region and in the world in natural disaster control and prevention, SAR. Under this highlight, we need to pay attention to cooperating in experience sharing, disaster forecasting and warning, specialized facility investing, and a action-coordinating mechanism. From the agreement reached by ASEAN countries and the direction of the Government, the Ministry of Defense is proactively completing cooperation mechanism with ASEAN militaries in humanitarian and disaster relief, SAR with sea-bordered countries. In 2013, along with effort to bring search and rescue force in Humanitarian assistance, disaster relief exercise in Brunei (June 2013), functional forces are proactively coordinating, preparing to host the ASEAN Disaster Relief Exercise (ADREX 13) in Vietnam. This is an important cooperation, affirming Vietnam’s position, role in the international arena in dealing with disaster and SAR; moreover, this is our chance to exchange, study and accumulate experience, enhance drill and capability for functional forces in mission. On that foundation, in the coming time, the VPA continues to foster international cooperation to exchange information, gain experience in training and managing, disaster preventing, SAR; among that, the cooperation to enhance ability in equipping forces in SAR is of paramount importance.

In order to effectively deal with  natural disasters as specified in the Decision 76/2009/QĐ-TTg of the Prime Minister, there is an increasing need for modernizing equipment for the specialized forces; whereas, budget is limited and hi-end technology acquisition is challenging (due to inadequacy in expertise and foreign language of cadres)…So, besides approaching selectively to modern equipment, we need to promote cooperation with developed countries in personnel training, technology transferring and preservation in order to fully utilize features and usage of equipment, hence minimize its erosion to contribute to enhancing ability in disaster control and prevention, SAR of military forces, meeting well all demands in the event of a disaster. 

Major-General Pham Hoai Giang

Director of the Department of Search and Rescue