Five platoons of Army rescue soldiers are preparing to assist areas affected by the earthquake

Following the earthquake that struck on Monday and the damage reported in various regions of the country, the National Army ordered the mobilization of five specialized platoons from the Disaster Prevention and Response Brigade of the Engineer Command, equipped to support search, rescue, and relief efforts in communities in need.

There are 180 soldiers, divided into five platoons of 36 members each, who will be deployed from Bogotá and Tolemaida to priority areas based on damage reports and the requirements of authorities and relief agencies.

According to the established plan, three platoons are scheduled to be deployed to the Coffee Axis, one to the department of Chocó, and another to Cali. As part of this deployment, the platoon stationed in Bogotá has already received orders to travel from the Military Air Transport Command (CATAM) to Cali.

Each platoon has a canine team specialized in search operations, meaning there will be five teams available to assist in locating people in emergency situations. This capability is complemented by personnel trained in search and rescue in collapsed structures, specific scent tracking, vertical and confined-space rescue, structural stabilization and shoring, and pre-hospital care.

For these tasks, the soldiers are equipped with specialized gear such as drones, thermal cameras, motion sensors, tripods, stretchers, rescue baskets, and removal tools, which enable them to support search and rescue operations under various conditions and in different scenarios.

These capabilities are coordinated with the National Disaster Risk Management System and its constituent agencies, in accordance with the requirements established for each region.

Through this readiness initiative, the National Army maintains its specialized disaster prevention and response capabilities to assist in the search and rescue of people, support communities, and protect lives in the face of the impacts caused by the earthquake.