International and national cooperation
REDOG is a member of international organisations and works closely together with rescue and emergency organisations.
International
REDOG is the official international partner of the
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) in the Search segment of Swiss Rescue during federal deployments abroad.
REDOG provides training abroad and supports rescue teams with ensuring functioning biological detection in accordance with the INSARAG Guidelines of the United Nations. INSARAG, International Search and Rescue Advisory Group, is an organisation of the United Nations which specifies the standards for international “Search and Rescue” cooperations. This refers to search and recovery teams that are deployed following disasters. The organisation’s main task is to coordinate and standardise international rescue teams. REDOG is certified by INSARAG.
REDOG avidly exchanges experiences with GEA, a Turkish rescue organisation, and the Japanese Disaster Rescue Dog Network and also conducts joint training sessions with both. Some of the training sessions take place in our national training centre in Ostermundigen (see photos below). REDOG and GEO joined forces during the earthquakes in Nepal in 2015, Albania in 2019 and Turkey in 2023.
Swiss activities
Within Switzerland, we work with the offices for defence and civil protection of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS), Swiss Air-Rescue (Rega) and Alpine Rettung Schweiz (Alpine Rescue Switzerland).
We are an active partner of authorities at all levels in order to fulfil our humanitarian mission. At a regional level, we conclude service agreements with cantons and provide them with search teams, team managers and technical detection experts.
REDOG is a rescue organisation of the Swiss Red Cross and acts in accordance with the seven fundamental principles of the Red Cross: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, unity, universality and voluntary service.