Growing network: Rescue 1122 in 80 more tehsils by May

Law minister addresses passing out ceremony of 443 rescuers

LAHORE:

Rescue 1122 will become operational in 80 tehsils of the Punjab by May this year, Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said on Saturday.

He was addressing the passing out ceremony of 443 rescuers from the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa held at Emergency Services Academy. Out of the 443 rescuers, 319 are from the K-P.

K-P Emergency Rescue Service Director General Dr Asad Ali Khan, Punjab Emergency Rescue Service Director General Brig (r) Arshad Zia, Emergency Services Academy Director General Brig (r) Amir Hamza were also present.

Sanaullah praised the performance of Rescue 1122 staff. “Rescuers must show empathy, compassion and love for humanity,” he said. The minister said that rescuers were justified in demanding a better service structure. “The government is working to address their demands, including better allowances. It is rescuers’ right and they will definitely get it,” he said.

He said that the Punjab Emergency Service Academy had been imparting free training to rescuers from other provinces. “This gesture is a reflection of the vision of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. This is the fourth batch of rescuers from the K-P who have completed their training from the Punjab. So far, 2,000 cadets from the K-P have been imparted training here,” he said.

Dr Asad Ali Khan thanked the Punjab government for its continuous support.

“This training institute is a great blessing for the Punjab and other provinces. All our rescuers have been training in this academy,” he said. Khan appreciated the efforts of Brig (r) Hamza for improving the standard of training.

The cadets demonstrated their skills during mock exercises of deep-well rescue, water rescue, firefighting, urban search and rescue, confined spaces and height rescue and medical emergency management.

Brig (r) Zia said that the rescuers had been given specialised medical, firefighting and height rescue training in the first phase. “Specialised training courses were arranged for them in the second phase,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 10^th, 2016.