Basic training in disaster management and emergency response will help city deal with calamities, say experts
Basic training in disaster management and emergency response will help city deal with calamities, say experts
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As Mumbai reels under yet another terrorist attack within barely two and a half years after the November 26, 2008 attack, experts suggest that active participation of the common man is required to combat terror, and advocate that disaster management training be imparted to citizens. "Every person should have a certain level of alertness especially crowded places, to spot potential danger. Being a vast country, it is vital that citizens receive some kind of paramilitary training, if possible, right at the school level," said Commandant Alok Awasthy, in charge of the National Disaster Response Force (Western Region).
With over 80,000 trained personnel under him, Awasthi added that such training is vital today, when people face natural and manmade calamities.u00a0
Activist Vijay Chavan, coordinator Force 24x7, is sceptical of what may unfold with our current lack of awareness.
Force 24x7 is an initiative of the Indian Ex-Services League, seeks to collaborate with youth and citizens groups, BMC's Disaster Response Unit and other disaster management agencies like bomb disposal squads, to set up citizens' squads for crisis management.
"We had launched Force 24x7 in 2009 under the leadership of veterans like Brigadier Sudhir Sawant, however, somewhere down the line, our agency is went dormant, due to lack of finance and the lack of will power. We have a lot to learn a lot from countries like Israel, where the first informer of any impending terror threat is the common man on the street," said Chavan.
He added that the work of the Mumbai police would become easier if citizens were given basic training in bomb detection, besides other disaster management techniques to double as intelligence sources on the ground level.
What is disaster management?
Disasters are either natural or human-made. Disaster management includes risk reduction, preparation of resources to respond to disaster, quick response to a situation, control of damage and restoration of normalcy.
Relief falls under the preview of the Home Department of the state government. Depending on the magnitude of the disaster, the central government and its National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF) can offer relief measures. The Central Relief Commissioner (CRC) is the nodal officer to coordinate relief operations for natural disasters through a Crisis Management Group (CMG).The CMG has select officers in every ministry and organisation to manage emergency situations. These officers prepare an action plan that should be implemented efficiently in case of emergencies.
The CMG takes orders from the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), headed by a Cabinet Secretary.
A Control Room or Emergency Operations Room functions round the clock in the city, to coordinate and transmit information to various agencies.
Dial in case of emergency: BMC Disaster Management Cell ufffd 22694725; Ambulance Services ufffd 1298
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