Emergency service: Rescue 1122 officials promised ‘reward’

Punjab Emergency Service DG says Rescue 1122 will be expanded to all tehsils by December 2016

LAHORE: Punjab Emergency Service (Rescue 1122) Director General Arshad Zia said on Monday Rescue 1122 had rescued more than 3.6 million victims of various emergencies since its inception.

“Rescue 1122 has maintained its average response time of seven minutes,” Zia said on the conclusion of first District Emergency Officers’ Conference at Emergency Services Academy, Thokar Niaz Beg.

The conference had been called to review performance of district rescue authorities, highlight problems faced by rescuers, share recommendations on improving service delivery and devise a strategy.

Provincial Monitoring Officer Farhan Khalid, Regional Emergency Officer Mian Riffat Zia, Planning and Development Deputy Director Faheem Ahmed Qureshi, Finance Deputy Director Naeem Mukhtar, Punjab Head of Operations Ayyaz Aslam and Lahore District Emergency Officer Ahmed Raza were present on the occasion.



The director general said the conference would help better understand issues faced by rescue authorities. He said he was committed to implementing the service structure, establishing Urban Search and Rescue Teams and pursuing capacity building programmes.

He said Rescue 1122’s fire service had prevented losses worth R.185 billion through its timely help. He said Water Rescue Teams had rescued more than 97,000 flood victims in 2015. “There is always room for improvement … but these statistics show that Rescue 1122 has lived up to people’s expectations.”

“It is time that we take steps for the welfare of rescuers,” he said.

Some district emergency officers apprised the director general of problems faced by them.

Speaking to The Express Tribune after the conference, the director general said he was committed to implementing the service structure soon, acquiring modern equipment for Rescue 1122, establishing Urban Search and Rescue Teams and introducing Rescue 1122 at all tehsils.

He said the death of Home Minister Shuja Khanzada in a building collapse following a suicide bombing had prompted them to establish Urban Search and Rescue Teams.

He said talks were underway with the army for the training of these teams. He said Rescue 1122 had been introduced in 17 tehsils. He said he was hopeful that the service would be introduced in all tehsils by December 2016.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 13^th, 2015.