Our Emergency and First Aid Programme Students Took Part in Giresun UMKE's "Building Collapse" Drill

As part of the 2026 activity plan of the Ministry of Health's General Directorate of Emergency Health Services, our Vocational School of Health Services' Emergency and First Aid Programme students and academic staff took part in the "building collapse" drill organised by Giresun UMKE (National Medical Rescue Team).

Held in the Teyyaredüzü area, the drill aimed to enhance UMKE teams' capacity to deliver rapid and effective medical intervention to casualties in collapse and entrapment scenarios, to perform medical rescue operations in coordination with partner institutions, and to establish and operate an on-site Emergency Response Unit.

The drill brought together 14 vehicles, one Emergency Response Unit and a total of 70 personnel, 40 of whom were UMKE staff. Alongside UMKE, the exercise was joined by 112 Emergency Health Services, AFAD (Disaster and Emergency Management Authority), the Giresun Municipality Fire Brigade, rescue teams from the İHH and Nezir associations, and students and academic staff from the Emergency and First Aid Programme of Giresun University.

According to the scenario, five casualties trapped beneath a building that had collapsed following an earthquake were located and reached. UMKE teams provided on-site medical intervention, and the casualties were extricated from the rubble in coordination with technical rescue teams, transferred to the field Emergency Response Unit for treatment, and subsequently referred to appropriate healthcare facilities according to their conditions.

Throughout the drill, our Emergency and First Aid Programme students had the opportunity to observe and practise triage, patient transport, initial medical intervention and multi-team coordination in conditions as close as possible to a real disaster setting. This experience is of significant value in helping our students integrate their theoretical knowledge with practical field competence.

The exercise successfully tested the teams' response capacity, coordination capabilities and reaction times. We extend our thanks to all institutions and personnel who contributed to this drill, and wish for days free of disasters.