QC LAUNCHES JUNIOR RESCUERS PROGRAM

Quezon City has launched a program to organize and train public high school students for disaster preparedness and rescue work.

The disaster control division (DCD) of the QC Department of Public Order and Safety (DPOS) is conducting the training activities for junior rescuers as part of the city government’s efforts to ensure that Quezon City residents know what to do emergency situations resulting from climate change.

In a report to Mayor Herbert Bautista, DPOS chief Elmo DG. San Diego said the first of the training activities was held at the San Bartolome High School in District 2 last October 18.

The junior rescuers program is aimed at preparing the students for emergency tasks in order to reduce casualties during disasters. Topics for the training and orientation are early warning system, evacuation management, first aid, and what to do before, during and after a disaster.

San Diego said that, for the month of October, DPOS rescue personnel led by DCD head Dr. Noel L. Lansang have already trained 310 junior rescuers at San Bartolome High School and four other high schools in District 2.

Other schools with junior rescuers’ training sessions from October 19 to 21 were Cecilia Muñoz Palma High School , Culiat High School , Bagong Silangan High School , and Novaliches High School . Six teachers at the Novaliches High School also participated in the training.

The DPOS disaster control division has scheduled 40 more junior rescuers training sessions for other public high schools in QC, according to Dr. Lansang.

He said that the training activities will be held until the third week of January next year. Mencio/ Ej/ Maureen Quiñones, PAISO