Today, September 4, is celebrated as Rescuer’s Day.
The 1988 Spitak earthquake revealed many fundamental issues in Armenia’s civil defense system and became the main impetus for its radical reorganization and for the establishment of the Emergency Situations Department under the Government of the Republic of Armenia.
On July 17, 1991, by Decision No. 462 of the Council of Ministers of the Armenian SSR, through the efforts of Sergey Balasanian, Vardan Amirbekyan and others, the National Seismic Protection Service under the Government of Armenia (NSPS) was established. The agency was tasked with organizing seismic protection for the population, buildings, and structures. Within a short period, the NSPS achieved significant results, becoming recognized as a regional leader in the field.
In 1991, the Emergency Situations Department was created, headed by Stepan Badalyan. The Civil Defense Headquarters, operating in Armenia since 1961 with all its structures, was placed under the authority of the Emergency Situations Department at the end of 1991. Unlike the narrow scope of traditional civil defense activities, the Department adopted new, comprehensive approaches—conceptual, professional, and legal—towards organizing the entire system’s work, based on the potential for major disasters and accidents in Armenia, their classification, and risk assessment.
By Government Decision No. 359 of September 4, 1997, a Rapid Response Rescue Detachment was created, with the main objectives of:
- carrying out rescue operations in disaster zones and providing the population with the necessary specialized assistance in the shortest possible time during emergencies,
- conducting recovery operations in the aftermath of disasters and accidents.
In 1997, the Emergency Situations Department was removed from the structure of the Government and renamed the Emergency Situations Department adjunct to the Government of Armenia.
In December 2005, the Emergency Situations Department was renamed the Rescue Service of Armenia under the Ministry of Territorial Administration.
In 2008, by Presidential Decree, the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Armenia was established, which in 2023 was renamed the Rescue Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Today, Armenia has a well-established and powerful Rescue Service, with fire and rescue units equipped with modern machinery, property, and equipment.
Tavush regional Rescue Department
The Tavush Regional Rescue Department was established in December 1992. Initially, it was called the North-Eastern Regional Civil Defense Headquarters. Over time, the name has undergone numerous changes, but the essence of its mission and its main principle have remained unchanged: organizing the protection of the population and material assets during wartime and in emergency situations.
Created during a difficult and challenging period for the state, overcoming the trials of time, and beginning its work with a staff of only eight, the Regional Rescue Department has now grown into a strong structure, staffed with professionals, equipped with modern property and technical means, and ready to provide assistance at any time and under any circumstances.
The Tavush Regional Rescue Department subdivisions are equipped with 34 units of rescue machinery and about 170 rescue service personnel. Of special significance is the role of the Tavush Urban Search and Rescue Team, established in 2015 and internationally certified. It is an urban search and rescue unit that complies with international standards, equipped with state-of-the-art rescue equipment and machinery, capable of operating independently in any country of the world. The Tavush USAR team actively participated in eliminating the consequences and conducting search and rescue operations following the explosion at the “Surmalu” shopping center on August 14, 2022, as well as in the earthquake response in the Syrian Arab Republic on February 6, 2023.
The Tavush Regional Rescue Department of the RA Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Rescue Service, guided by the RA Laws “On Rescue Service,” “On Civil Defense,” “On Population Protection in Emergency Situations,” “On Fire Safety,” “On Seismic Protection,” and other legislative acts, carries out measures aimed at preventing emergencies, reducing their consequences, operational preparedness, providing methodological assistance on civil defense, and training the leadership of the regional civil defense system and the personnel of the Regional Rescue Department. These activities also involve local communities, organizations, educational institutions, and the population.
Today, while remaining in a state of constant readiness, rescuers are receiving congratulations from their colleagues on the occasion of their professional holiday. In response, they express their gratitude and remind everyone: “In the most difficult moments, we are by your side—by your side in all moments of life.”
