The 10^th of May shall mark one of the most significant milestones in the successful journey of the Emergency Fire and Rescue Unit with the signing of the EURO SAR statute alongside four other European rescue teams.

Following an international 24-hours-long exercise which brought together several volunteering rescue teams, the 5 founder members of the EURO SAR finally sat round the table to launch the European Association of Civil Protection Volunteer Teams. The Association – named EURO SAR – foresees the long-term collaboration between several European rescue teams, all of which operate on a voluntary basis. Five such teams constitute the foundation of the Association: Malta’s Emergency Fire and Rescue Unit, the Italian team Edelweiss, the Elite Special Task Force of Greece, the Cyprus Civil Protection Volunteer Corps and the Escola Portuguesa de Salvamento from Portugal. The purpose behind EURO SAR is to create a European common platform for collaboration and sharing of best practices within the field of rescue and emergency response. The signing of the Association’s statute, today, is being considered as the first step towards what shall eventually be a unified rescue team made up of volunteering members from all across Europe and fully-equipped with the necessary equipment and complementary expertise to respond in cases of emergency in countries within the European Union and beyond.