Immediate disaster relief service
Emergencia y Respuesta Inmediata de la Comunidad de Madrid (ERICAM – Emergency and Immediate Response of the Region of Madrid)
Through ERICAM the Region of Madrid provides a coordinated response in the event of disasters
ERICAM (Emergencia y Respuesta Inmediata de la Comunidad de Madrid – Emergency and Immediate Response of the Region of Madrid) was created to coordinate the joint response of the bodies of the Region of Madrid to disasters that may occur in any Spanish region or in any country around the world.
Why is it excellent?
In 2011 ERICAM obtained the USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) team classification granted by INSARAG (International Search and Rescue Advisory Group), a secretariat of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs that acknowledged it internationally for its excellent work and organisation. Such classification was obtained after a thorough assessment by the UN staff of all of the group’s characteristics and a simulation exercise of a minimum of 36 hours. This classification was ratified in 2016.
ERICAM and the Unidad Militar de Emergencias (UME – Military Emergency Unit) are the only two Spanish emergency groups that have obtained such a classification.
ERICAM was acknowledged in 2016 by the Regional Government of Madrid through the Amendment of May 2 and by the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Government of Spain with the Civil Protection Merit Medal in the bronze category.
Intervention in the 2010 Haiti earthquake
Intervention in the 2011 Lorca earthquake (Murcia)
Intervention in the 2016 Ecuador earthquake
Intervention in the 2017 Portugal forest fires
Main interventions
From its inception, ERICAM has been involved in major forest fire-fighting operations in Spain, such as in the fire of Tenerife (2007), Segovia, Valencia and Guadalajara (2008), Teruel and Avila (2009).
It has also participated in wildfires in other countries such as Portugal in 2017. Due to the size of these fires, ERICAM carried out two consecutive interventions (July and August).
ERICAM was also involved in the earthquakes occurred in Haiti and Chile (2010), Lorca (2011) and Ecuador (2016).
ERICAM is specialised in rescue operations in large earthquakes; yet, due to the versatility of its member bodies, it can provide response in various events involving natural disasters such as forest fire situations.
In earthquake rescues, ERICAM is qualified to perform the following actions:
- Structural assessment of buildings
- Reinforcement of unstable components
- Technical and dog search under the debris
- Opening holes to allow victims’ access
- Health assistance to victims before transfer to hospital
All of such actions are performed with high safety standards for both the rescue teams and the victims in a catastrophe situation.
Who is involved in the initiative?
The Fire Department of the Region of Madrid, SUMMA and Canine Units. However, according to the needs to be addressed, ERICAM is open to allow the participation of any other body of the Region of Madrid, as well as of any NGO, IIOO, or city council.
