Islamabad: NDMA to hand over $3.2m equipment to CDA

[Naveed Yaseen]

Obaid Abrar Khan
National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is going to handover $3.2 million high tech equipment of search and rescue to the CDA after giving one and half years training to urban search and rescue (USAR) teams.

The NDMA has raised two USAR teams, one for Islamabad and other for Karachi to enhance the national emergency response capacity in Pakistan. The training of third USAR team is also in the initial process. These teams have completed their training before formal operationalisation and taking part in the first-ever ongoing national urban search and rescue mock exercise (phase 2) in Islamabad.

Both teams are working together on a simulated scenario of emergency in Islamabad City. International and local observers are monitoring and evaluating performance of teams. During the exercise teams will operate on self-sustainable basis.

SRSA (Swedish Rescue Service Agency Sweden), DFID UK and SDC Switzerland have helped NDMA in creating these two international standard urban search and rescue teams in Pakistan.

Pakistan is the first country in the region which developed the capacity and these teams are capable of international deployment to assist other countries in disasters. These teams have undergone an extensive training in the field of search and rescue.

High tech search equipment and canine component make these teams a valuable asset for Pakistan while responding to disasters especially rescuing the lives from collapsed structures.

The NDMA has spent almost $4 million for raising two teams. These teams have conducted successful urban search and rescue operations in Karachi and Peshawar even during their training phase. After the completion of this exercise NDMA will officially hand over the operational command of these teams to CDA Islamabad and City District Government Karachi for deployment as and when required in disasters. After the handing over of this costly high tech equipment CDA and CDGK would be responsible for maintenance.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=209812