Standardisation of the Coordination Mechanism for International USAR Teams:

Examples from the INSARAG Marking and Assessment Forms

Abstract

This paper examines the standardisation of the coordination mechanism among international urban search and rescue (USAR) teams. For this purpose, it looks at the activities of INSARAG (the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group). This includes the development of the marking system and assessment forms, and how INSARAG modified them as a result of the experience of the response to the Haiti Earthquake in 2010. In order to be widely used by international teams, the standardised methodologies must be simple and easy to understand, while also providing the necessary information. Furthermore, the methodologies must provide potential users with incentives to use it. This paper examines how INSARAG has successfully implemented the standardised methodologies.