What is a TAST?

Generally speaking, a TAST provides technical support to an On-Site Operations Coordinations Center (OSOCC).

The OSOCC assists the local authorities of the affected country with the management of the disaster, in particular the coordination of international Search And Rescue teams. It will assess the need for and use of international resources, and provide support to the affected country in managing operations and logistical support for international SAR teams and registering their operational capabilities. The OSOCC provides a platform for national and international relief actors to exchange information and to coordinate their activities. In the OSOCC, international relief teams are registered and are provided with basic information about the situation, operations of national authorities and logistics arrangements.

In Article 3c of Commission Decision of 20 December 2007 it is stated that

  • technical assistance support teams (TASTs) have the capability to operate with other technical assistance support teams and with civil protection modules
  • components of a technical assistance support team (TAST) have the capability to operate together as one technical assistance support team
  • civil protection modules and technical assistance support teams(TASTs), when deployed outside the EU, are able to operate with international disaster response capabilities supporting the affected state.

Main Objectives

The main objectives of the TAST are to provide the EU‐Experts and or assessment/ coordination teams with

  1. Office support,
  2. Telecommunication support,
  3. Subsistence support and
  4. Transport support on site.
The TAST may also accommodate a Community assessment and/or coordination team of up to 10 members, an OSOCC, a Sub‐OSOCC, a Reception/Departure Center (RDC), or contribute to the self‐sufficiency of other civil protection modules (which does not mean that TAST has to feed e.g. a field hospital, because each of the modules must be self sufficient! It is necessary to be aware that pre‐arrangements for the incorporation of TASTs in civil protection modules should be made prior to the transmission of general information on the modules to the Commission). TAST also must be able to support other international disaster response capabilities, like UNDAC, IFRC etc.