Staff from the Spanish Brigade deployed in Unifil carried out an exercise to rescue people from inside a vehicle. In a scenario simulated for the occasion, an accident involving a vehicle overturned on the road with an injured person trapped inside was recreated.
During the drill, once the accident was confirmed, the Logistics Unit's extrication cell and the evacuation cell with medical personnel were activated.
On arrival at the scene of the accident, the staff of the rescue team began by isolating the area, quickly assessing the situation and stabilising the vehicle in order to work safely and initiate the procedure for the rescue of the injured person inside the vehicle. This operation must be carried out as quickly as possible, bearing in mind that the life of the trapped person is at stake.
To undertake the excarceration, the team was equipped with various tools such as hydraulic struts, power equipment, tractel, shears and hydraulic wedges.
While this process was taking place, the medical team was waiting at the accident checkpoint until access was made available to treat the casualty. They then proceeded to stabilise and remove the injured person from the vehicle to transfer him to a hospital for treatment.
The protection of troops is an objective for Spain and UNIFIL. This type of exercise helps to create an environment of security and confidence, which allows operations to run smoothly, preserving the troops' capacity to carry out their security and stability tasks in compliance with the United Nations mandate.