WITHIN ۲۴ HOURS A NEW APPROACH TO ACHIEVE THE ESSENTIAL RESPONSE TIME NEEDED BY THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY DURING THE EMERGENCY SEARCH AND RESCUE PHASE FOLLOWING THE IMPACT OF A RAPID ONSET DISASTER.

This Paper proposes the establishment by the international community of a small, elite, highly specialized search and rescue unit that is capable of reaching the site of a disaster, where a large number of people are trapped and are beyond the reach of normal conventional rescue services, within ۲۴ hours_ The Paper explores the present international emergency organizations and networks, showing their strengths and shortcomings, and how improvements can be made by governments to ensure that future major disasters, such as earthquakes, are responded to more effectively. It also touches on the overwhelming importance of preparedness training programmes for vulnerable communities affected by such disasters