BY: BY JENNIFER C. TILOS
DUMAGUETE CITY, April 2 (PIA) The
Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC) has facilitated
a five-day Special Counter-Insurgency Operations Unit Training or (SCOUT) for
the 129 policemen of the Philippine National Police in the province.
The participants were subjected to a
short course on Search and Rescue (SAR) Training at the Senator Lorenzo Teves
Aqua Center, Dumaguete City.
PDRRMC executive officer Adrian Sedillo
said the province assisted in the short course SAR training by providing
the venue and for tapping the expertise of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)
as the facilitators of the said training.
The SAR training is now introduced by
the PNP hierarchy as part of the 45-day SCOUT Training to provide the PNP
personnel with the basic knowledge and skills necessary for SAR operations.
This would be the first batch of the
SCOUT trainees that have been required to undergo the SAR training particularly
on Basic Life Support (BLS), swift water and open water rescue, among others.
Sedillo said the conduct of the SAR
training is the realization of the agreement between Governor Roel Degamo and
PNP Regional Director Danilo Constantino for the provincial government through
the PDRRMC to provide SAR skills to the PNP undergoing the SCOUT training.
Gov. Degamo for his part immediately
responded to the request as it is within the ambit of the serious efforts of
the provincial government in cooperation with various agencies and private
organizations to lay down mitigation measures and preparedness for various
types of disasters.
Sedillo said this is the new direction
considering that based on experiences, the PNP personnel are among the first
responders during emergency situation and often times put their lives at risk
due to lack of proper knowledge on how to handle the situation.
“In fact, one PNP personnel died when a
team undergoing the SCOUT training responded to the flash flood incident in
Bayawan City in October of last year, that kind of incident that the PNP
leadership would not like to happen again,” Sedillo cited.
“This is part of our strong commitment to support the programs and
activities of the PNP because they are our partners in all aspects of
governance especially on disaster management,” Governor Degamo said.
(mbcn/JCT/PIA7-Negros Oriental)