The launching ceremony for the latest Rescue 1122 effort to establish community emergency response teams (CERTs) was organised at the PCSIR Auditorium on Monday where Chief Minister’s Chief Social Mobiliser Shaista Pervaiz Malik, Education Minister Rana Mashood and Chief Minister’s Adviser Khawaja Imran Nazir were present.
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CERTs have been launched in accordance with the Punjab Emergency Service Act, 2006. Every individual enrolled with CERTs will be called a ‘Rescue Mohafiz’.
The purpose of this programme is to establish teams for emergency preparedness, response and prevention of emergencies while promoting healthy safe living, fire and building safety, road traffic accidents prevention, clean
water and sanitation solutions and cleaning and recycling campaigns.
Paying tribute to volunteers across the world for their selfless services, Rescue 1122 Director-General Dr Rizwan Naseer stressed the need for working towards sustainable development goals (SDGs), healthy and safer communities in Pakistan.
“While the government is doing everything to minimise accidents,” he said, “people should also take some responsibility and join hands with Rescue 1122 to work for reducing emergencies.”
A video message of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif was also aired at the event. The CM appealed to the citizens to join CERTs and become mohafiz (guard) of their streets, towns and cities. “It was the need of the hour to work together for providing a safe and healthy society to our future generations,” he said.
MNA Shaista Pervaiz Malik said the Punjab government established CERTs under the umbrella of Rescue 1122 through which emergencies could be effectively prevented.
Shaista signed the MoU with Rescue 1122 in June 2014 as the Chief Minister’s chief social mobiliser to create socially responsible and trained citizens in Punjab.
Education Minister Rana Mashood termed the launching of the programme a ‘historic step’ through which each citizen would be able to work shoulder-to-shoulder with the rescuers.
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“We shall go to each union council of Punjab and work for safe, secure, healthy and a prosperous society,” he said, appealing to media practitioners and citizens to join Rescue 1122 as Rescue Mohafiz. He also announced his joining as the first mohafiz himself.
Humanetek CEO Fahad Mahmood Khan briefed the participants about ‘Mohafiz Mobile Application’ with which any citizen can register themselves while giving their name, mobile number and CNIC numbers. People can also visit nearest the rescue station to get the registration form.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 6th, 2016.
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