Conscious volunteers strengthen social resilience against disasters

A certificate ceremony was held by the Üsküdar University Vocational School of Health Services (SHMYO) Emergency and Disaster Management Program, within the scope of the Support AFAD Volunteering Program, carried out in cooperation with the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) and the Council of Higher Education (YÖK). Instructors and students who successfully completed the program received their certificates at the ceremony.

The ceremony, held at the Emir Nebi Conference Hall of Üsküdar University Çarşı Campus, was attended by Üsküdar University Vice Rector Prof. Hikmet Koçak, AFAD Provincial Director Prof. Haluk Özener, Üsküdar University Rector's Advisors Prof. Mehmet Zelka and Prof. İsmail Barış, Vocational School of Health Services Director Asst. Prof. Ömer Faruk Karasakal, Faculty of Medicine Member Asst. Prof. Ayhan Özşahin, AFAD Training Branch Manager Yasin Odabaş, Vocational School of Health Services Deputy Director and Emergency and Disaster Management Program Head Instructor Esat Sadık Demirtaş, along with many academicians and students.

Prof. Hikmet Koçak: “Universities must be pioneers in disaster awareness”

Üsküdar University Vice Rector Prof. Hikmet Koçak stated that disaster preparedness is not just a technical issue but also a social responsibility.

Koçak said; “Natural events can be fate. However, whether these events turn into a disaster largely depends on our level of preparedness.”
Koçak, drawing attention to the universities' responsibility to produce and transfer knowledge to society; “As institutions where knowledge is produced and transferred to society, we must also set an example in disaster awareness and preparedness. Universities must be pioneers in disaster awareness,” he said.

Prof. İsmail Barış: “Volunteering must be supported by education”

Making evaluations regarding earthquake experiences and disaster management processes in the program, Rector's Advisor Prof. İsmail Barış emphasized that the real issue is not the magnitude of the earthquake but the level of preparedness. Barış said; “The problem is not just the magnitude of the earthquake. The real problem is how prepared we are for an earthquake.”

Barış, stating that volunteering is not limited to good intentions; “Volunteering does not just mean acting with good intentions. People who go to help in a disaster area need to know what to do. For this reason, volunteering must be supported by education,” he said.

Prof. Haluk Özener: “You are very important members of this orchestra”

Istanbul AFAD Provincial Director Prof. Haluk Özener, in his speech, stated that disaster management is only possible with inter-institutional coordination and a strong volunteer network.

Özener, likening AFAD's role to an orchestra conductor; “It is not right to expect a single institution to do everything during a disaster or emergency. AFAD has very important responsibilities, but AFAD is not a structure that can manage the entire process alone. I often liken AFAD to an orchestra conductor,” he said.

Özener, emphasizing that every stakeholder contributes to the process; “Just as every musician in an orchestra has a separate duty, every institution, every volunteer, and every individual has an important duty in disaster management. You are also very important members of this orchestra,” he said.

Asst. Prof. Ömer Faruk Karasakal: “The strongest factor in combating disasters is trained human resources”

Üsküdar University Vocational School of Health Services (SHMYO) Director Asst. Prof. Ömer Faruk Karasakal emphasized that societies resilient to disasters are only possible with educated and conscious individuals.

Karasakal, pointing out that the human factor is decisive in disaster management; “The strongest factor in combating disasters is prepared, conscious, and trained human resources. A society's resilience against disasters is possible not only with its technological capabilities but also with educated and volunteer individuals,” he said.

Instructor Esat Sadık Demirtaş: “Our goal is to build a society prepared for disasters”

Speaking at the program, Vocational School of Health Services Deputy Director and Emergency and Disaster Management Program Head Instructor Esat Sadık Demirtaş stated that disaster management is not merely interventions made during a disaster, but a multifaceted and continuous process.
Demirtaş, stating that disaster management consists of different stages; “Disaster management is not just intervening at the moment of the event. Foreseeing risks, analyzing dangers, preparing, raising public awareness, and effectively carrying out recovery efforts after a disaster are also integral parts of this discipline,” he said.

Demirtaş, also drawing attention to the importance of a volunteering culture in this process; “Our goal is to build a society that is prepared for crises, rather than one that reduces disaster risks or manages crises. The way to achieve this goal is through education, awareness, and the spread of the spirit of volunteering in society,” he said. 

12 instructors and 83 students became Support AFAD Volunteers

12 instructors and 83 students who successfully completed the training provided by AFAD qualified to receive the “Support AFAD Volunteer” certificate. The certificates were presented by the protocol members who attended the ceremony.

They gained important competencies

Thanks to the theoretical and practical knowledge gained during the training process, participants gained important competencies in pre-disaster preparedness, correct intervention during a disaster, and post-disaster support activities.

The certificate ceremony concluded after a group photo session.