For three decades, the internationally certified rescuers of the Rescue Forces Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Rescue Service – specifically, from the Center for Carrying out Activities of Special Importance – have been conducting complex and high-risk rescue missions both in Armenia and abroad.

The Center for Carrying out Activities of Special Importance was established on the basis of the Special Rescue Squad. Previously, it was known as the Rapid Response Rescue Squad. The first state rescue unit was formed on September 4, 1997, which is now celebrated as Rescuer’s Day.

The Center includes 7 units: four are rescue squads, one is a canine unit, one is a diving unit, and one is a specialized motorcycle response team.

The Center has 94 rescuers across various specialties, including: scout-cynologists (dog handlers), mountain rescue paratroopers, divers, UAV (drone) instructors, motorcyclists, and general-profile rescuers.

The Center for Carrying out Activities of Special Importance is a member of the United Nations International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG).

According to the Head of the Center for Carrying out Activities of Special Importance Hayk Naghdalyan, “The Center became an INSARAG team member in 2015, which is a major achievement for the Rescue Service. It means that we are not only capable of conducting rescue operations within Armenia, but are also certified to respond to disasters in other countries.”

The Center for Carrying out Activities of Special Importance is a high-readiness unit, equipped with specialized rescue gear, equipment, and machinery.

The Center also has a storage facility that meets international standards, where all necessary items are classified and stored in designated containers, including regularly refreshed food supplies. In other words, rescuers are ready at any moment to deploy anywhere in the world to provide assistance: Syria, Iran, Turkey, Georgia, the Russian Federation…In all cases, the rescuers of the Center for Carrying out Activities of Special Importance responded swiftly, carrying out water rescue, mountain rescue, search and rescue, and emergency recovery operations in disaster zones.

The personnel of the Center’s specialized units continually enhance their professional skills through regular drills and diverse training sessions.

As the saying goes, they carry out rescues everywhere — in the air, in water, and on land.

The specialized unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) unit is involved in both monitoring and rescue operations.

"Drones are used for search and rescue and reconnaissance purposes — to locate missing persons, and during large-scale fires, to assess the size and direction of the fire's spread. This allows firefighting and search-and-rescue efforts to be organized more quickly and effectively," says Rubik Margaryan, senior instructor of the UAV team of the Center for Carrying out Activities of Special Importance.

No call is the same as the next. Each one tells a story — of lives saved, and of the chance to offer a helping hand…

Edgar Galoyan, commander of the scout-cynology (canine search) unit, explains: "Our unit currently has 10 rescue dogs. Six are trained to search for people under rubble, three are trained to locate human remains, and one is specialized in detecting weapons, ammunition, and explosives."

The commander of the diving unit notes that a diver's job is challenging, but also fascinating — it requires specific skills. He adds: "There’s no need to fear the water, but being cautious can save lives."

According to mountain rescue paratrooper Samvel Kolyan, "Being a rescuer is a way of life, and every mountain we conquer, every life we save, makes us stronger."

The rescuers of Center for Carrying out Activities of Special Importance share one dream: that disasters and tragic accidents be reduced to a minimum — and that their knowledge and skills be used only during drills and training exercises.
But if the call comes — know this: they will come.