Volunteer Reserve Rescue Team (in Estonian Vabatahtlik Reservpäästerühm) is an Estonian non-governmental organization. The organization was established in 2002 in order to support the professional Rescue in case of extensive natural and civilian disasters (e.g. forest fires, oil spills etc), and the Police to find lost people. The main purpose is to provide these organizations with help of volunteers as skilled and organized force.
More than 200 volunteers of different professions are the members of the Team, amongst them are 25 dog-handlers with their specially trained search and rescue (SAR) dogs. Person joining the Team is presumed to have covered the basic rescue and first aid training. Additionally, members can choose among different special trainings from psychology to leadership in emergency situations.
Besides being operating reserve, prevention work is another important aspect of the Team`s function. The aim is to raise awareness on fire safety and to instruct different target groups from children to adults how to react in certain critical situations. Training goes from fire extinction to first aid. Again, we have close co-operation with Estonian Rescue Board and regional rescue centers.
Team`s members can choose between specialized groups to have a certain preparation beside the basic training to react on situations. These groups are:
– Search and rescue
– Prevention
– First response and logistics