In cases where huge disasters leave a large number of casualties, many countries assist in the life rescue activities of the disaster-devastated countries by dispatching urban search and rescue teams to the disaster sites.
As of April 2008, 67 USAR teams from 67 countries are registered in INSARAG, and KOSAR Team is one of them.
South Korea is a member country of INSARAG and operates KOSAR Team according to the INSARAG Guidelines. KOSAR is an acronym for "Korea Search and Rescue," and KOSAR Team is the official USAR team of South Korea for overseas missions
Based on Basic Fire Act, Disaster and Safety Management Basic Act, and Regulation on Organization and Operation of KOSAR Team of National Emergency Management Agency, the chief of National 119 Rescue Service takes charge of organizing and operating KOSAR Team.
| Classification | Duties |
|---|---|
| Commander | Command, control |
| Management Section | Field recording, information collection, liaison, reporting, interpretation |
| Logistics Section | Equipment management, operation of the command post, resource supply |
| Rescue Section | Life rescue, body recovery |
| Search Section | Search operations with rescue dogs and high-tech equipment, structure marking |
| Medical Section | Prehospital medical treatment, health management for rescuers |
| Technical Support Section | Safety assessment in collapsed buildings, Hazmat response and consultation |
Since 1997, KOSAR Team has been dispatched 10 times for overseas rescue missions.
| Year | Disaster Type | Country | Period | Total | Dead | Live |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Earthquake | Turkey | August 20 - 30, 1999 | 154 | 154 | 0 |
| 1999 | Earthquake | Taiwan | Sep. 22 - 27, 1999 | 22 | 21 | 1 |
| 2003 | Earthquake | Algeria | May 23 - 31, 2003 | 22 | 22 | 0 |
| 2003 | Earthquake | Iran | Dec. 27, 2003 - Jan. 3, 2004 | 57 | 57 | 0 |
| 2004 | Tsunami | Thailand | Dec. 29, 2004 - Jan. 7, 2005 | 14 | 14 | 0 |
| 2008 | Earthquake | China | May 16 - 23, 2008 | 27 | 27 | 0 |
| 2008 | Typhoon | Myanmar | June 5 - 15, 2008 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | Earthquake | Indonesia | October 1-7, 2009 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 2010 | Earthquake | Haiti | January 15-25, 2010 | 33 | 33 | 0 |
| 2011 | Earthquake | Japan | March 10-22, 2011 | 107 | 107 | 0 |
※ Pakistan and Indonesia earthquake sites: Three members of NRS were dispatched to assist in the relief activities of KOICA
※ Dispatched to Myanmar was an epidemic prevention mission.
