Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Army prepares quick response teams for any disaster in Ilocos

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jul 31, 2019): Army prepares quick response teams for any disaster in Ilocos

CANDON CITY - - An army unit had prepared the quick response teams ready for immediate deployment when the severe effect of any disaster occurs in Ilocos provinces.

Lieutenant Colonel Charles Castillo, the commander of the army’s 81st Infantry Battalion (IB) based in Sta. Cruz, Ilocos Sur, said that each of the four companies of army troops under his command had an organized quick response team composed of well-trained soldiers on disaster relief, rescue and retrieval operations.

The members of the disaster teams were equipped with knowledge and skills on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).


Members of the disaster quick response team of the army’s 81st Infantry Battalion fix their vehicle for a disaster response in Sta. Cruz, Ilocos Sur. (Photo by FGL,PIA1)

“We have also available tracker dogs manned by skilled handlers ready to utilize during the search and rescue operation to disaster’s victims,” he said.

Aside from the human resources, the army’s 81st IB had readily available trucks and safety gears for use in the pre-emptive evacuation of the residents to be affected by the severe typhoon, flooding, and landslides.

“We also deploy our trucks in collaboration with the Department of Social Welfare and Development Region 1 (DSWD R1) office, the Office of the Civil Defense Region 1 (OCD1) and the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) for use in the transport of relief goods, medicines and food packs for the victims of any disaster which occurs in the Ilocos provinces,” said Castillo.

To hone the skills of the members of the army’s quick response team, he said that they have participated in several friendly competitions conducted by the local government units (LGUs) like the recently concluded “Disaster Resilience Olympic” (DRO) initiated by the provincial government of Ilocos Sur.

For the observance of the National Disaster Resilience Month this July that anchored on a theme “Kahandaan sa Sakuna’t Peligro Para sa Tunay na Pagbabago,” the troops from the 81st IB have actively joined all the activities initiated by the Ilocos Sur’s Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC).

“On the first week of July, our troops have participated in the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) motorcade initiated by the provincial government of Ilocos Sur along the national highway which started at the boundary of Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte in the north at Sinait town, and ended in the boundary of Ilocos Sur and La Union in the south at Tagudin town,” he said.

He said the motorcade activity aims to create awareness on the importance of disaster prevention, mitigation, disaster preparedness, disaster response, and disaster rehabilitation and recovery for a disaster-resilient province.


Members of the disaster quick response team of the army’s 81st Infantry Battalion prepare for a disaster response in Sta. Cruz, Ilocos Sur. (Photo courtesy of 81st IB)

“Your army is always ready to help whenever disasters or calamities come and we will continue to partner and collaborate with the different sectors of society in order to help our communities become disaster-resilient, and as part of our commitment for the fulfillment of the mandate of the Executive Order (EO) 70 that institutionalizes a whole of nation approach to end the problem on insurgency,” he said. (AMB/FGL, PIA1)

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1025310

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.