Erkin Tekin

Samsun Provincial Directorate of Disaster and Emergency (Samsun AFAD), a public body, is regional organisation of The Disaster and Emergency Management Authority of Turkey (AFAD) which is oriented under the Ministry of Interior.

Samsun AFAD is responsible for managing local emergency action in Samsun city (where more than 1.3 million citizens live), including Disaster Risk Management, Risk Assesment, Loss Estimation,

Evacuation, Guidance and Early/Real-time warning Systems for Society, Search and Rescue operations and providing coordination between Emergency agencies and officials.

Main Units:

Disaster and Emergency Management Center, Regional Search and Rescue brigade, Search&Rescue Dog Training Center, CBRN, Regional logistics warehouse.

As a government agency, we are dedicated to prevent disasters and minimize disasterrelated damages, plan and coordinate post-disaster response, and promote cooperation among various other local government agencies. Roles and Responsibilities in Disaster and Emergency Situations consist of following titles :

• Risk Assesment • Mitigation/Prevention • Preparedness • Warning/Evacuation • Saving People • Providing Immadiate Assistance • Assesing Damage • Ongoing Asistance • Restoration of Infrastructural Services • Reconstruction (Resettlement/Relocation) • Economic&Social Recovery • Ongoing Development Activities

Our multidisciplinary project team has been recently focusing on:

• Minimizing disaster-related damages that threaten societies.

• Minimizing damages in disasters and emergency situations by focusing on Human Behaviors.

• Creating Community-based Disaster Management Program.

• Building strong social consciousness about disaster and emergency situations.

• Sharing perception of social organization about disaster and emergency situations.

• Gaining resillience to provide flexibility to the projects as an End-User/by the point of End-Users.

• And of course, Saving Lives!

Finally; Samsun AFAD is a bridge between the central authority and the citizens with a unique rigidity.