Saturday, 05 OCTOBER 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The Uttarakhand State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) will be soon trained to handle chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) hazards as well. A memorandum of understanding was signed between the Uttarakhand State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the Indian Rescue Academy on Friday to conduct disaster management training programmes in the State. Under this agreement, SDRF personnel will receive advanced technical training that will improve their capabilities in managing disaster situations more effectively across the State, the Inspector General of Police of SDRF, Ridhim Aggarwal. She stated that the training will focus on crucial areas such as medical first responder, flood rescue and search and rescue operations in collapsed structures. Besides this, the SDRF personnel will be trained to handle chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) hazards as well. They will also receive specialised instruction on maintaining and repairing CBRN equipment, enhancing the overall preparedness of the force. Aggarwal said that the training model will follow a training of trainers (TOT) approach with selected SDRF personnel being trained as instructors in the initial phase. These trainers will later be certified as master trainers, responsible for educating their teams. A three-day course on psychological care and counselling will also be conducted to prepare SDRF personnel to provide emotional and mental support to both rescue teams and disaster victims during emergencies. The IG further said that the collaboration is designed not only to improve disaster response but also to serve as a revenue-generating model. Training programmes will be offered to participants from other states, further strengthening disaster management capabilities and enhancing SDRF’s role in the region, she said. The MOU was signed by SDRF commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi and director of Indian Rescue Academy (ITUS Group Maharashtra) Ankit Wagh. This partnership is expected to mark a new chapter in disaster management, enabling quicker and more effective assistance during times of crisis, Aggarwal added.
