Have you ever been a witness to a road accident or a natural calamity without knowing exactly what you should do? A timely effort is sure to prevent the worst from happening, provided you know how to put the proverb ‘a stitch in time saves nine’ into practice. Well, the City Corporation here, under its Disaster Management Cell, is equipping task forces to deal with unforeseen risks coming their way through the Climate Risk Management Project (CRMP), a United Nations Development Project (UNDP).
Volunteers are given training in four modules; ‘First Aid’, ‘Search and Rescue’, ‘Evacuation’ and ‘Shelter Management’. The first part, of providing first aid, is being conducted on Monday at three wards in the city, Beemapally, Beemapally (East) and Valiyathura. ‘Shelter Management’ training was over in 2013 itself.
“This project would put into action four task forces in 16 wards including those in the coastal area here. Based on the criteria of selection for each force, volunteers will be selected and imparted training,” said Ramesh Krishnan, city project coordinator of UNDP, CRMP.
Training in ‘First Aid’ is scheduled to be over in five days in May itself for which a Kozhikode-based agency is arriving in the city.
Likewise, training in ‘Evacuation’ and ‘Search and Rescue’ will be held. ‘Search and Rescue’ training will be imparted under the guidance of National Disaster Response Force (NDRP).
In ‘First Aid’, the training focuses on saving people in road accidents. ‘Evacuation’ is taught based on preparing route maps. How to act during natural calamities such as tsunami and earthquake is the thrust area of ‘Search and Rescue’.
Orientation in basic requirements needed in a common shelter was provided during ‘Shelter Management’.
The ‘First Aid’ training is from 10 am to 4 pm on Monday. ASHA workers, Kudumbashree volunteers and Anganwadi workers are to receive training in the session.