4th International Search and Rescue Exhibition and Conference (ISAR 2014)

KUALA LUMPUR: A GROUP of international experts on search-and-rescue (SAR) and disaster management will convene here next week to share their experiences in conducting operations and disaster management worldwide.

They will be speaking at the 4th International Search and Rescue Exhibition and Conference (ISAR 2014) at the Royal Chulan Hotel here starting on Tuesday.

Organised by Global SAR Resources Sdn Bhd with the theme "Transforming Search and Rescue Performance", the three-day event will see experts from Australia, New Zealand, China, the United Kingdom, the Philippines, India, Indonesia and Malaysia sharing their views.

Global SAR Resources founder and director Murali P.V. Bhaskaran said one of the topics of discussion would be the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

Experts at ISAR 2004 include Brooke Archbold, former chairman of the board of New Zealand Coast Guard and International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF) trustee, who will speak on IMRF's role in transforming SAR performance.

Captain Martin Sebastian, the head and fellow of the Centre for Maritime Security and Diplomacy at the Maritime Institute of Malaysia, will speak on "Enhancing the regional SAR architecture".

A paper titled "Greater international cooperation in maritime domain awareness and SAR" will be presented by Prof Dr David Brewster from Australian National University, while China's Donghai Rescue Bureau director-general Lu Ding Liang will deliver a talk on "Transforming development of China rescue salvage".

Other speakers include International Autonomous Systems Ltd's Dr Richard Dowd, who will speak about the use of unmanned aerial vehicles in SAR operations, and Prof Dr Rao Tatavarti of Castle, India, who will deliver a talk on "Advanced surveillance technologies for SAR".

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia geo-strategist Prof Dr Azmi Hassan will speak on "The geopolitics of SAR missions" while Rob Keating of New Zealand's St John's Ambulance will discuss on the topic, "Being willing and able to respond -- key to transforming emergency response".

Also slated to talk are India's commissioner of revenue administration Dr T.S. Sridha, Malaysian Armed Forces' Royal Medical Corps aviation medicine practitioner Colonel Dr Razin Kamaruzaman, Philippine Coast Guard's Major Dr Ted Esquerra, Badan SAR Nasional of Indonesia's Agus Haryono and Philippine Air Forces' Major Mark Allan Gavilan.

Murali said two ISAR conferences were held in Kuala Lumpur in 2011 and 2012. Last year's event was held in Chennai.

Source:   New Strait Times