Beşiktaş Opens Disaster Education Academy on 1999 Earthquake Anniversary

Beşiktaş Municipality has launched the Beşiktaş Disaster Education Academy, an initiative designed to enhance the district's capacity for disaster preparedness and response. The academy's opening on August 17, the anniversary of the devastating 1999 İzmit earthquake, carries significant symbolic weight. The event was attended by local officials, including Beşiktaş Deputy Mayor Rasim Şişman and District Governor Oğuzhan Bingöl, alongside representatives from various non-governmental organizations.

“

Disaster preparedness requires an integrated approach. We continue to work for a more resilient Beşiktaş by prioritizing science, public interest, and the safety of lives.

Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Mayor Rasim Şişman emphasized the critical need for Istanbul, particularly the historically built Beşiktaş district, to prepare for potential earthquakes. He highlighted that the district's old building stock makes it vulnerable. Şişman stressed that protecting Beşiktaş involves safeguarding not just structures, but also lives, homes, neighborhoods, memories, and the collective history of the community. He underscored that disaster management requires a comprehensive approach, encompassing risk reduction, preparedness, coordinated response, and post-disaster recovery planning.

“

What we will protect is a whole: our lives, our homes, our neighborhoods, our friendships, and the memory Beşiktaş has accumulated over generations.

The Beşiktaş Disaster Education Academy is envisioned as a dynamic, 24/7 hub. It will bring together professional teams, NGOs, volunteers, and local residents for training and drills. The facility includes modern simulation areas for realistic disaster scenarios, a rubble field accredited by AFAD (Turkey's disaster agency) for urban search and rescue training, a K9 unit station for scent tracking, and a training tower for high-angle rescue operations. The academy's communication and command infrastructure is also designed to support effective disaster management, with units from the Disaster Affairs and Risk Management Directorate housed within the facility.

“

The academy will operate as a center that lives 24/7.