World Rescue Organisation - A Decade of Achievement

In September 1999 colleagues from around the world gathered at ‘Rescue Down Under’ (RDU) in Melbourne, Australia. In addition to the challenge, representatives from all organisations operating a national rescue challenge were invited to attend a meeting to discuss common objectives. From this meeting the World Council of Rescue Organisations was born. A committee was formed consisting of representatives from the UK, Australia, South Africa and the USA.

From this meeting the agreed goal was to organise an annual challenge, and in 2000 the first World Extrication Challenge was held in Scotland at the Scottish Fire Service College. Over the years the challenge has visited South Africa twice, the Czech Republic, Canada, England, New Zealand, Spain and Wales. In the past decade the ‘Rescue Challenge Concept’ (RCC) has developed considerably in meeting the needs of both rescue workers and those they are called upon to assist.  Through the promotion and development of the RCC at world, regional and local levels a widely accepted industry standard for the care of individuals and their rescue from vehicles has developed.

The WRO has ensured that the World Rescue Challenge has also evolved to reflect the challenges encountered by rescue and medical workers, through the introduction of other intervention disciplines. Today these include rope rescue, trauma care and urban search and rescue with hopes that water rescue will be included in future events. With these evolutionary changes the WRO has also evolved in a number of areas, this has even seen the WRO logo change from road traffic collision specific to a more generic logo in 2004.

The WRO is not just about the Rescue Challenge, in recent years it has developed strategic partnerships with other international organisations such as the World Health Organisation and the Global Road Safety Partnership, who is also celebrating its tenth anniversary, our congratulations to them. The WRO has also, through the assistance of the UKRO International Development Programme, has delivered a number of development programmes around the world.

In the WRO’s tenth year, we are very proud of the WRO, which has not only developed considerably over a relatively short timeframe but continues to be recognised for its achievements, abilities and potential. As for the next ten years we are confident that the WRO will continue to grow and develop new and exciting strategies, interventions and partnerships which further assist rescue workers and the people they care for as they face their daily challenges. 

WRO Committee