BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Thursday 13 June 2013 – In the afternoon, some of the participants of the multinational Humanitarian and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercise were involved in an air evacuation exercise whereby the participants conducted the preparation of casualty for helicopter casevac (casualty evacuation), loading and unloading of casualties, securing of patients on the aircraft, the provision of medical support during transfer and winching procedures.

Concurrently, twenty-three personnel from the Special Medical Operation Team (SMOT) from Thailand underwent Multi- Rope Abseilling (MRA) training conducted by the Royal Brunei Air Force’s Parachute Airborne Tactical Delivery Unit (PATDU) at the Rimba Airbase. 

Prior to that, a ground training was conducted in the morning, where the Thai Search and Rescue (SAR) team heard a briefing and participated in a practical session at the training tower.

A live training was also conducted in the afternoon with live descents from a Bell 212 helicopter.  The objective of the training is to fully prepare the Thai SAR team and PATDU for their MRA helicopter drills for the upcoming multinational Humanitarian and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercise.

Both the training sessions and practical exercises serve to provide the necessary preparations and information needed in order to conduct the HADR exercise efficiently and safely.  

Earlier in the day, the Medical Force Integration Training (FIT) continues with a Table Top exercise (TTX), exercise overview briefings and practical sessions held in the morning at Dewan Pahlawan, Berakas Garrison. The FIT programme started off with the TTX held at the Rimba Camp attended by the heads of delegations and personnel from respective participating country.

The exercise overview briefings focused on the structure, sites and scenarios for the upcoming exercises whereas the practical sessions covered field communications, prioritising casualties (Triage) and Medical Simulation. The objectives of the training sessions are to familiarise the participants to have a standardised approach to the exercise and to build rapport amongst the participants. The field communication session focuses on the use of radio communication equipment by the application of proper voice procedures. Moreover, the Triage and Medical Simulation session involved triaging, the use of simulation tags and a casualty demonstration. Most importantly, all the participants had the opportunity to set up the Utilis and the Drash (Deployable Rapid Assembly Shelter), both vital equipments for troops at the operational field.