The Civil Defense Directorate announced today, Friday, the qualification of new batches of officers and personnel within advanced specialized courses in diving and water rescue, aimed at enhancing the capabilities of search and rescue teams and increasing their readiness to face accidents and emergencies.
The director of the relations and media department at the directorate, Nawas Sabah, stated in a statement followed by the Video News Agency, that these courses come as part of efforts to develop the capabilities of the internationally certified Iraqi search and rescue team and to equip it with the latest technologies and equipment, as part of a national strategy aimed at enhancing its operational efficiency and response to various incidents in terrestrial and aquatic environments.
He added that water rescue teams form a fundamental pillar in the civil defense system due to Iraq's geographical nature, which includes rivers, lakes, marshes, irrigation canals, and dams, necessitating the existence of specialized teams to handle incidents of drowning, landslides, and vehicle falls into water.
He explained that diving and rescue operations in internal waterways face significant challenges, the most prominent of which are the strength of water currents, lack of visibility, and the presence of obstacles and debris at the bottoms, which necessitates training divers to use specialized techniques and underwater communication methods to ensure their safety and enhance their performance efficiency.
He pointed out that the team's tasks include evacuating those trapped during floods and torrents, searching for missing persons, rescuing drowning victims and victims of vehicles and machinery falling into water bodies, as well as coordinating with river police to carry out humanitarian and security tasks.
The directorate emphasized the continuation of its efforts in the awareness and preventive aspect by warning citizens of the dangers of swimming in non-designated water areas or those experiencing fast currents, stressing that prevention and early response are fundamental factors in reducing accidents and protecting lives and property.