During a working visit to Almaty, the Chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Satybaldy Dauletalin, visited the base of the State Institution “Republican Operational Rescue Detachment” (ROSO) of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan, got acquainted with the working conditions of rescuers and awarded the members of the detachment who performed their professional duty at the epicenter of the earthquake in Turkish Republic.
Created in February 1994, the ROSO detachment is rightfully called the “special forces of the Ministry of Emergencies.” During the existence of the detachment, ROSO rescuers made 7,066 operational trips, during which 5,707 people were rescued. Only this year, as of May 30, ROSO carried out 94 operational trips, rescued 132 people, provided first aid to 15 victims.
Behind the detachment this year is also a rescue operation in the Republic of Turkey, where on February 5, 11 provinces were affected by powerful earthquakes. At the first call from the Turkish side, already on February 6, 33 employees of the Republican Operational Rescue Team of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan set off to fulfill their professional duty.
During the two weeks of the ROSO mission, 4 people were rescued from the ruins of Gazeantep, 77 bodies of the dead were recovered. In total, Kazakh rescuers rescued 7 living people from under the rubble and removed the bodies of 88 who died during the earthquake.
Today, the detachment has 93 employees, 89 of them are members of the primary trade union organization of the Republican Trade Union “Kyzmet” – a member organization of the Federation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Vladimir Tsoi, the head of the State Institution of the Republican Operational Rescue Squad of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan, during a conversation with the Chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan Satybaldy Dauletalin, spoke about the insufficient equipment of the detachment with special equipment, lack of personnel and social issues relevant to rescuers.
“The employees of the detachment do not have any benefits from the state, since they are civil servants – they go on a general basis. Despite this, young guys want to serve in the detachment. When selecting from 15 candidates, two or three people are selected. The work of a lifeguard requires special skills. If a person is physically prepared, morally stable, we teach the rest ourselves,” said Vladimir Tsoi.
The average salary of ROSO employees is 120,000 tenge, taking into account allowances for a shift, it hardly exceeds 160,000. The work of the members of the detachment is not easy. In frost and heat, they save people on land, in the mountains, on the water. While the Chairman of the FPRK was talking with the head of the ROSO, they said on the radio: “A tourist in trouble in the mountains of the Zailiysky Alatau was rescued. The rescue team is returning to base.” And so every day.
The staff of the ROSO detachment and the group returning from the operation to rescue the tourist greeted the chairman of the FPRK with a general formation on the parade ground.
Addressing the staff of the detachment, Satybaldy Dauletalin stressed that he was glad to personally meet with the ROSO rescuers today. “I am very happy to be here today. I want to thank each member of the detachment for the conscientious performance of their professional duty. Saving people in an emergency situation is a feat. You do it every day. By risking your own life, you often bring others back to life,” said the Chairman of the FPRK.
As for the solution of issues relevant to the members of the ROSO detachment, Satybaldy Dauletalin said that in the near future the Federation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan intends to apply to the Ministry of Emergency Situations to address the social and labor problems of rescuers. “Your work deserves attention and support. Therefore, the Federation of Trade Unions will raise the issue of social guarantees for employees of the ROSO detachment before the social partner,” said the Chairman of the FPRK.
Satybaldy Dauletalin paid special attention to the members of the ROSO detachment, who performed their professional duty in the mission to eliminate the consequences of devastating earthquakes in the Republic of Turkey.
Gratitude was announced to the entire detachment of the ROSO of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and fifteen rescuers, including cynologists, medical workers of the detachment and the rescuers themselves, were awarded today the Enbek Ozaty FPRK medal and diplomas of the Kyzmet Industry Trade Union.
“You are real heroes! We need to educate our children by your example. Your attitude towards people and their troubles are symbols of solidarity, mutual assistance and great philanthropy,” said the Chairman of the FPRK in conclusion.
Media Center of the Federation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan