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Disaster Support Unit 

On  November 11th, 2005, the Mayor of Madrid,  presented the Disaster Support Unit (DSU) of the City of Madrid. 300 professionals from the emergency services always prepared for, within two hours, joining any international aid mission requiring them.

The Disaster Support Unit of the City of Madrid is a group of multidisciplinary professionals, properly organized and equipped, whose mission is to perform, on a voluntary and altruistic basis, certain activities to protect people and property affected by disasters, both in Spanish territory and abroad.

They are the expression of the solidarity of the people of Madrid with those populations affected by any type of natural or man-made disaster, need foreign cooperation to respond to it. 

The DSU of the City of Madrid, is composed of SAMUR-Civil Porotection staff and volunteers and Fire Department staff.

To join the DSU some minimum requirements must be met:

• Must be staff placed on "operational/active" status.
• Not to be currently involved in a disciplinary file for alleged serious or severe misconduct.
• More than a  year as staff member or volunteer.
• A former member who has been suspended from the DSU, will not be allowed to take part in it.
• A psycho-technical test to assess the aspects included in Royal Decree 1123/2000 of 16 June must be passed.
• Designated physical tests must be passed.

What are its roles?

The DSU is designed to fulfill the following functions:

• Assist in the search and rescue of people in areas affected by catastrophic situations.
• Provide support in assessing assistance needs of the damaged areas in the short to medium term.
• Provide emergency medical care.

How it performs them?

The DSU organization aims to ensure the activation of the necessary human and material resources within minimum time. Besides, ensure self-sufficiency of the medical teams for 10 days to any location in the world.

Is structured in a modular way from a minimum set of resources (Basic Operating Module), which can be multiplied by itself as needed. Operating Modules in turn consist of three structures: Rescue Group, Medical Group  and Logistics Group, supporting the two first.