Hellenic Rescue Team (HRT) is a volunteer non-profit Search and Rescue (SAR) organisation, with a human potential of 2.000 volunteers all over Greece and Headquarters in Thessaloniki. HRT participates in SAR missions in cases of urgent needs and massive disasters, either in Greece or abroad. It is acknowledged by Civil Protection Authorities in Greece and EU and is the only Greek member in the International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF), the International Commission for Alpine Rescue
(ICAR) and the International Search and Rescue Dog Organisation (IRO). HRT also cooperates with the United Nations’ INSARAG (International Search and Rescue Advisory Group) since 2005, making it the only international rescue organization in Greece. It also collaborates with OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) and with EU’s ECHO (European Community Humanitarian Office).
HRT’s main mission is the search and rescue of people in need and the implementation of Aid Missions in natural and manmade disasters all over the world. Nevertheless, a major objective (and vital tool to achieve our mission) is Research and Development in the area of Search and Rescue, crisis and crowd management, telecommunications and ICT for first responders. In that frame, the Hellenic Rescue Team participates in Horizon Europe, H2020, Erasmus+ and INTERREG projects.
For its operational activities at sea during the major refugee crisis in Greece, the Hellenic Rescue Team was honored in November 2016 by the UNHCR with the Nansen Refugee Award, which is the highest honor awarded by the UNHCR. Furthermore, in December 2017 HRT received the Mother Teresa Memorial International Award for Social Justice from the India Harmony Foundation, which each year honors organizations and individuals from all over the world, who are active in humanitarian work and contribute to social justice.