‘Civil protection’: ‘Emergency training’ to help deal with calamities

Students will have to attend 60 classes during each academic session.

PESHAWAR:

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Home and Tribal Affairs Department has directed the higher and elementary education department to launch a three-month ‘emergency training’ course for school, university and college students across the province.

The directives were issued after Directorate General (DG) Civil Defence Air-vice Marshal (Retd) Aftab Hussain wrote a letter to the Capital Administration and Development (CAD) and provincial home departments on February 26 to revive co-curricular incentivised contests among students along the lines of the National Cadet Course.

Hussain also expressed concerns over receiving no response from the provincial education secretaries to a letter issued earlier on June 2, 2007. The letter directed them to begin civil defence training for college and university students in accordance with a resolution passed by the National Assembly on November 1, 2005.

A copy of the letter issued on February 26, available with The Express Tribune, states the resolution dictates training has to be provided to all students to educate them on ‘civil protection’ measures during emergencies in case of both natural and man-made disasters.



“Under the prevailing situation of the country, there is a dire need to take all requisite measures including implementation of the resolution to combat all disasters and calamities,” reads the letter.

It asked the provincial home department to obtain training services from provincial Civil Defence authorities.

Titled ‘Rescue Operation in Disasters’, the training will enable students to manage rescue operations, provide relief during disasters and lessen risks of collateral damage. An incentive has also been announced – trained students will get 10 additional marks.

The training syllabus touches on immediate response in war, conventional weapons of war, special weapons of war, unexploded ammunition, terrorism, biochemical pollution, road accidents, industrial accidents and emergencies, floods, earthquakes, infectious diseases and fires.

The training has been termed a legal requirement for school students. Students will have to attend 60 sessions of 45 minutes each within the prescribed academic session.

The chairmen of the federal, provincial and district boards of intermediate and secondary education will be chief patrons and monitor the training programme. The chairmen will also ensure implementation and awarding of additional marks.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 2^nd, 2013.