Grand Hospitaller Visits Search & Rescue Unit as Part of Historic 5th Anniversary
EST. 2021 · FIVE YEARS OF SERVICE
From the training field to the gala table: one day that captured half a decade of saving lives.
By Yazan Geblawi, Press Officer · 14/10/2026
The Search & Rescue (SAR) Unit of the Maltese Association of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (MASMOM) marked a monumental chapter in its operational journey, formally hosting H.E. Dr. Josef D. Blotz, Grand Hospitaller of the Sovereign Order of Malta.
The visit coincided with the Unit’s 5th Anniversary, celebrating half a decade of emergency response excellence, rigorous alignment with international standards, and voluntary devotion to saving lives.
PART I · MORNING
Live Field Capabilities: Simulated Structural Collapse
Proceedings began in the morning with the official arrival of H.E. the Grand Hospitaller. To give His Excellency a realistic assessment of the team’s operational readiness, the Unit executed a live disaster-response simulation built around complex scenarios, demonstrating the seamless, multi-disciplinary integration of its core technical pillars.
01 · Canine
An obedience session opened the display, followed by the Human Remains Detection (HRD) team, taking imprinting exercises through to operational readiness.
02 · Tracking & Air-Scent
The Tracking Team showed precision article work and a short operational track, leading into two technical air-scenting searches inside challenging subterranean tunnels.
03 · Medical
Volunteer responders, joined by His Excellency himself, stabilised a simulated casualty presenting with a head injury and broken legs.
 A volunteer walks through the Unit’s rescue and extrication equipment |
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The Unit’s technical pillars in action during the morning simulation
04 · Drone, Tech & Command
The technical display concluded with the Drone & Tech Team’s aerial reconnaissance capabilities and a briefing on the Unit’s custom-built Incident Management System for real-time operational coordination.
Search & Rescue Unit with H.E. the Grand Hospitaller and MASMOM Hospitaller Dame Karen Miller
PART II · MIDDAY
Strategic Briefing
After a brief midday transition, the focus shifted from field operations to the Unit’s ongoing initiatives and future development plans. As Minister of Health and International Cooperation of the Sovereign Order, His Excellency engaged deeply with these plans.
His Excellency reaffirmed the Order’s mission: unlike any NGO, it transcends physical aid, embracing a holistic understanding of the motto “assistance to the poor”, one in which spiritual prayer and care work hand in hand with saving lives.
| A Token of RecognitionAs a token of recognition, H.E. the Grand Hospitaller presented the Unit with a bronze commemorative medal of the Sovereign Order of Malta, which depicts Alessandro Algardi’s Baroque sculpture The Baptism of Christ (c. 1650), honouring St John the Baptist, the Order’s patron saint, and the spirit of faith and service the Unit carries forward today.
Its reverse bears the Order’s coat of arms and the inscription “Sacra Domus Hospitalis S. Iohannis Hierosolymitani” (the Sacred House of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem). |
PART III · EVENING
A Milestone Evening: The 5th Anniversary Gala Dinner
The day culminated at The Xara Lodge, where members, benefactors and distinguished guests gathered for the 5th Anniversary Gala Dinner of the Search & Rescue Unit. An elegant welcome reception gave attendees a moment to reflect on the immense growth the Unit has achieved since its establishment in 2021.
The MASMOM President, H.E. Dr. Michael Grech, addresses guests at The Xara Lodge
Framed by the centuries-old Hospitaller ethos of chivalric service, the formal dinner served both as an acknowledgement of past sacrifices and as a pledge toward future expansion. A series of addresses traced the Unit’s journey from its first deployments to the specialised, internationally aligned corps it is today.
The Noble Baroncino Michael Trapani Galea Feriol, Unit President |
Simon Briffa, Unit Leader |
Principal Chaplain, The Very Rev. Mgr Brendan Gatt |
| In his address, the Grand Hospitaller extended his profound gratitude to the volunteers of the Maltese Association. He emphasised that the elite technical capabilities witnessed on the training field mirror the true, timeless heart of the Order: professionalism joined with an unyielding commitment to serving those in their darkest hours. |
“Prayer and rescue, one mission.”
The Order’s holistic mission, reaffirmed by H.E. the Grand Hospitaller
Members, benefactors and guests raise a toast to five years of service
Five years on, the Unit’s mission remains unchanged: to be there for those in their darkest hours.
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YG
