L R Bureau
Dr. Anil Verma Calls for Mandatory Disaster Preparedness Training in Schools and Colleges
Dehradun: The Youth Red Cross Society organized a special one-day Disaster Management and Safety Training Camp at Kids Camp Preparatory School, Jogiwala, as part of its summer camp activities. The programme aimed to equip students, teachers, and parents with essential life-saving skills and emergency response techniques.
Inaugurating the camp, Dr. Anil Verma, Chief Disaster Management Trainer of the Youth Red Cross Society, emphasized the urgent need for disaster preparedness in Uttarakhand, a state highly vulnerable to natural disasters. He noted that the Government of India has placed Uttarakhand in Seismic Zone VI due to its susceptibility to major earthquakes.
“Every school and college should make disaster management, first aid, and emergency rescue training mandatory so that children and youth can save their own lives and assist others during emergencies,” Dr. Verma said.
School Principal Mrs. Kanika Naithani informed that participants received practical training on responding to earthquakes, landslides, floods, fires, and other emergencies. The sessions focused on maintaining calm during disasters, ensuring personal safety, and rescuing injured persons, senior citizens, and differently-abled individuals through scientifically designed emergency rescue methods.
The camp also featured health and hygiene awareness sessions, including the Seven-Step Handwashing Technique to prevent diseases. Participants were taught how to identify dehydration and prepare Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) for emergency care.
A special first-aid session trained participants in administering Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) to revive individuals suffering from cardiac arrest or unconsciousness. Fire safety training included the use of ABC fire extinguishers through the internationally recognized PASS method.
Experts also educated attendees on burn injury management, dengue prevention, and road safety measures, including traffic rules, zebra crossings, railway crossings, traffic signals, and the importance of wearing helmets and seat belts.
Following the training, students demonstrated rescue techniques and CPR procedures under the guidance of teachers Sunanda Sharma, Suman Bahuguna, Rekha Chamoli, Nandini Raturi, Nandita Rawat, and Ayushi. The demonstration team, led by Swarnika, included students Anushka, Adyashree, Daksh, Pratishtha, Rudransh, Amulya, and Avyan.
Parents appreciated the initiative and expressed hope that such educational and practical activities would be organized more frequently to enhance children's safety awareness and preparedness.
