Conduct of night time emergency drills, exercises eyed
THE CITY Council approved a resolution recommending to the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) the conduct of regular night time emergency safety drills and exercises.
In the proposed resolution authored by all members of the local legislative body, knowing how to act during an emergency can save lives and properties.
The measure also said emergency safety drills and exercises should be conducted to familiarize the people with emergency plans and procedures that are also tested, improved and validated in the same exercises for observance and implementation in real time emergencies.
Further, the resolution noted that hazards or disasters may come at any time of the day that preparedness should also be for any time for the day.
According to the resolution, emergency safety drills and exercises should therefore be conducted also during night time during which a worst scenario may even be coordinated with the concerned government agencies involved in disaster risk reduction and management.
Republic Act (RA) 10121 otherwise known as the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010 declared as a policy of the State the institutionalization of policies, structures, coordination mechanisms and programs with continuing budget appropriation on disaster risk reduction from the national down to the local levels towards building a disaster resilient nation and communities and the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, part of the structure directed to be created for the implementation of the policy, is tasked, among others, to design, program, and coordinate disaster risk reduction and management activities consistent with the national
council’s standards and guidelines and to facilitate and support risk assessments and contingency planning activities at the local level.
The resolution also recommended the funding of the said nigh time safety drills and exercises shall be provided from the local disaster risk reduction and management fund for preparedness to be able to pursue the same and instil awareness among local residents and visitors alike on disaster re- silience.
Conduct of the night time safety drills and exercises will be incorporated in the regular conduct of emergency safety drills that are being regularly done by the CDRRMO in the different public and private institutions in the various parts of the city.
Moreover, the local legislators asserted it is best for the local government to sustain the implementation of disaster resilience programs, project and activities even in the city’s 128 barangays to empower the residents to embrace disaster risk reduction as part of their way of file so that they will be able to help in saving lives and limb from being exposed to eminent danger during the onslaught of natural and man-made calamities.
The local government is intensifying its disaster risk reduction and management programs, projects and activities by tapping the barangays to be part of the overall plan of being trained to respond during emergency situations considering that members of the Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils (BDRRMCs) are the ones in the frontline before the arrival of volunteered dispatched by the CDRRMO and other offices of the city to attend to the needs of affected residents in specification areas around the city.