If there has been a disaster or accident where people are trapped or buried, the specialist assistance team USAR.NL can be deployed. At home and abroad. Under the most difficult circumstances, USAR staff carry out search and rescue operations. USAR.NL can be deployed within 4 hours in the Netherlands and within 24 hours abroad.

The USAR team has four rescue groups (SAR group), a staff and support group (Staff and Support group) and a command group (Command Group). The organisation is multidisciplinary and consists of search and rescue personnel, nurses and doctors, search dog handlers, construction experts, support staff and managers. USAR.NL has around 61 staff when deployed. For this, it can draw from a workforce of about 145 employees.

During a lecture on 5 March in the KIVI building, the organisation will tell all about its activities, challenges and successes, while also addressing the fact that USAR.NL is classified by the United Nations as a 'heavy team'.In practice, this means that USAR.NL can be deployed on heavy and complex rescue operations. This makes USAR a group of people where personal drive and technical resources are essential components in achieving the objective: helping people in extreme circumstances.

The lecture will start at 7pm; between 6pm - 7pm there will be the possibility - for a fee of 15 Euro - to have a sandwich meal.