Saraid.
The search and rescue NGO with engineering expertise.
If you’ve just read our fascinating interview with Joshua Macabuag and were wondering how you could take your skills to be part of a group of heroes saving lives after natural disasters, read on…
Photos: Courtesy of Saraid
Sakthy Selvakumaran Civil Engineer and volunteer
We caught up with Sakthy Selvakumaran, a civil engineer who, like Macabuag, volunteers her spare time with Saraid, to find out more.
Tell us about Saraid.
Sakthy
Saraid was founded in 2003 and has grown to over 60 volunteer members from various specialisms – we are a UN Classified ‘Light’ Urban Search & Rescue team. Our volunteers come from backgrounds as diverse as the police, fire fighters, medical staff and, of course, engineers. But we are open to anyone who want to help to apply to join.
How many deployments has Saraid undertaken?
Sakthy
Its first deployment was in 2004 to Sri Lanka in the wake of the Boxing Day tsunami and since then it has responded to 13 catastrophes across the globe, most recently in Turkiye following an earthquake. Obviously the ideal situation would be that there would be no need for an organisation like Saraid to deploy but sadly, the world is not quite set up like that.
What do Saraid do? Specifically, what’s the role of engineers on site?
Sakthy
Amongst all the Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) NGOs and charities, Saraid has a reputation for having the best engineering volunteer base. Engineers are essential when it comes to USAR missions, the skills learned through an engineering career can help assess disaster zones. For example, understanding the make up of a building and how it’s used can help the rescue teams find egress and access points and understand the stability of collapsed structures.
Additionally, the engineering volunteers are key to helping manage the process of post-disaster damage assessments and help the local community begin to rebuild.
Engineers are essential when it comes to USAR missions, the skills learned through an engineering career can help assess disaster zones.
Given the nature of the work you do in disaster zones, we imagine the recruitment and training process is quite intensive – can you tell us a bit more about what a possible volunteer would have to do to participate on a deployment?
Sakthy
Yes, the work is physical and mentally demanding so we need to make sure that we have the right team with us on deployments and as support back home to get the job that needs doing, done.
If anyone is interested in joining, the first stage is to join an open evening – either virtually or in person – where you can find out more about what Saraid is and what we do. From here, it’s much like a job application, you are interviewed to make sure you’re the right person and the right fit for the teams we have already. It’s often a high pressure environment on deployments and as such, we need someone who can work within a team and under such conditions.
If you’re shortlisted, you’ll be invited to a selection weekend that takes place in the UK which simulates a real life disaster scenario and you’ll be assessed on how you perform under sleep deprived and tough conditions.
If you’re chosen to join the team, you’ll have at least three months of training, and it’s worth noting that this would be at least once a month for a full weekend.
There’s also additional training requirements for different specialisms that takes place online which is on top of the USAR training.
How soon after completing your training are you likely to be deployed?
Sakthy
As I said before, the dream situation is that Saraid would not need to be deployed but disasters caused by natural hazards happen. We estimate that your training from first signing up to being deployment-ready is around 12-24 months. The actual time to deployment could be longer or shorter depending on where we’re needed and when.
Obviously, as this is a volunteer role, we do not expect you to be available for every deployment but we would ask that you keep us informed if your circumstances change and you know you won’t be available.
What’s the best thing about being a part of Saraid?
Sakthy
It’s a really tough environment being on deployment – you just don’t know what you’ll find. But the camaraderie between the teams and the support you give each other is essential to getting through. Additionally, the training is a great opportunity to build close bonds with your other volunteers. It’s not easy to be in such tragic circumstances, but it’s so worthwhile and you’re really helping give back.
Are there specific recruitment periods for anyone wanting to find out more?
Sakthy
We’ve just completed a recruitment round so our next round will be 2025 – we recommend signing up on the Saraid website and you’ll be informed. We’d love to have you join our team!
For more information: www.saraid.org
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