MAKATI TRAINS 81 BARANGAY OFFICIALS AND FIRST RESPONDERS, CITY EMPLOYEES ON SWIFTWATER, FLOOD RESCUE posted by : icrd on 09/12/2013 The city government of Makati recently completed the training of 81 barangay officials, barangay first responders and city employees on Swiftwater/Flood Rescue held at a river in Camiling, Tarlac. Mayor Jejomar Erwin S. Binay said that the activity was part of the city government’s ongoing efforts to build Makati’s resilience against disasters. “Our first responders should gain skills in various types of rescue scenarios. The barangay first responders should be able to respond to different situations, and we believe the recently concluded swiftwater rescue training has greatly enhanced their capability to save lives,” he said. The 81 swiftwater/flood trainees consisted of the following: 48 from District I, 28 from District 2, two from Makati Rescue, one from the Urban Development Department, one from the Information and Community Relations Department, and one from Command Control and Communication (C3) Center. Liga ng mga Barangay head Ma. Arlene M. Ortega congratulated the first responders for showing enthusiasm in learning flood rescue techniques. “The swiftwater and flood rescue training provides important skills that our barangay first responders should possess,” Ortega said. She expressed satisfaction over the large turnout of participants. The swiftwater/flood rescue trainees were given lectures on water rescue philosophy, priority standard for rescue operations, objectives/components of search and rescue, sizing-up of flood and swiftwater rescue, absolute rules of flood and swiftwater rescue, water rescue techniques, whistle and hand commands, swiftwater and flood rescue hazards and hydrology, appropriate personal protective equipment and vests, among others. The trainees, six of them female, were divided into two groups. Those who completed the basic training (e.g. swimming exercises, river-crossing) received lectures on small boat handling and actual boat maneuvering on the river (using a water rescue craft) and boat tethering. They also rescued a “victim” trapped in the river and in between huge rocks, stabilized and then transported him using a spine board. The other group underwent the basic course lectures and skills training on defensive swimming, offensive swimming, rescue techniques (e.g. throw bag techniques, contact rescue), and shallow water crossing (such as one-man method, line astern method, triangle of support method, line abreast using a pole, wedge, and stokes carry method), among others. They also gained knowledge on the different modes of crossing a river with one or more victims. A zip line river crossing with and without a victim was also demonstrated to both groups. The graduates were classified into three groups: Awareness Level – Flood/Swiftwater Rescue Training (did not join the swimming exercises), Operations Level – Flood/Swiftwater First Responder Training (completed all the swimming and river-crossing exercises), and Swiftwater Rescue Technician I (trainees that belong to the advance group). The swiftwater training program was spearheaded by the Liga ng mga Barangay, while the training course was given by Cmdr. Hector Reyes, assisted by Makati C3 and Liga ng mga Barangay personnel, and the Rescue Team from the Provincial Government of Tarlac. Cmdr. Hector Reyes, head of Makati C3, said that more trainings will be conducted for barangay first responders in the coming months, such as the Hazmat (hazardous materials), CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear), and advance Swiftwater Rescue. Earlier, 132 barangay officials, barangay first responders and city employees completed the Crash Vehicle Extrication and Rescue Training. This September, around 125 floor marshals, team leaders and assistant team leaders are being trained on Emergency Response Preparedness, together with members of the security force (to form the core of emergency evacuation team). Also, some 120 city government employees are being trained on Basic Emergency Preparedness Awareness. In 2011 and 2012, the first batches of floor marshals, team leaders and assistant team leaders were given Emergency Response Preparedness Training; First Responders Training for Floor Marshals and Team Leaders; and Basic Life Support, among others. In-house firefighters will also be formed from among the team leaders and floor marshals who could respond to fire incidents within the city hall compound.
Posted on: Fri, 13 Sep 2013 08:02:19 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015