Text and photo: Lt (R) Michael Linden-Vørnle

– Help us! Get us out of here, it sounds from the partly collapsed buidings in the town of Hvims. A strong earthquake has laid the town in ruins and there is need for immediate relief. Luckily help is on its way. Units from the Danish Emergency Management Agency have arrived in the area struck by the disaster.

The large pioneer truck removes the  tree

To get to the distressed people in the town the personnel from the Danish Emergency Management Agency first has to remove an obstacle: A tree has tumbled down on top of a car and there are two injured persons inside. ck is moved ahead and using the truck’s remote controlled crane and a chain saw, the tree is removed.
 
Before that, one of the injured persons has been taken out the car, but the other one has possibly broken his neck and can therefore not be immediately moved. After the tree has been removed, the top of the car is cut away so that the injured person can be pulled out.

Dogs are used to search for confined  persons

While the way is cleared for the large vehicles of the Emergency Management Agency, rescue workers are already at work establishing overview of the situation in the earthquake-struck town that in reality is the ruined town at the Naval Damage Control School in Hvims. and first aid is provided to injured persons.

Injured, who are not able to walk, are carried on strechers to the so-called collective post, where a Navy doctor makes an assesment of the victims’ condition and prioritizes their need for further treatment. Those, who need further help, are transported to the Danish Field Hospital that is set up nearby. 

A Navy doctor makes an assesment of  the victims’ condition and prioritizes  their need for further treatment.

The effort by the Danish Emergency Management Agency is part of the disaster relief exercise during DANEX 07, where an international naval force is asked to provide help after a natural disaster.

Since the Danish Navy regularly contributes ships to international naval forces, the task of providing help after a natural disaster can quickly become a reality for Danish naval units. It is therefore important to train such an operation.

Additional photos