T’BOLI, SOUTH COTABATO- The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council conduct the 5 days Disaster Response and Rescue Operations (DRRO) Training for the Emergency Responders of the Municipality of T’boli which started last Tuesday November 26 and will end on November 30.
An Opening Ceremony and Formal Turn-over of participants was held at the Municipal Government Office Center, Brgy. Aflek, Tboli. The said training is funded by the PDRRMO thru the Administration and Training Section and is facilitated by MDRRMO Tboli.
A total of 53 participants composed of teachers, uniformed personnel and Out-of-School Youth will be trained with basic rescue and first-aid techniques by the SCOSAR Team from the PNP & BFP and the Philippine Red Cross-South Cotabato Chapter, respectively.
During the Opening Ceremony, Rolly Doane C. Aquino, RN, Chief of the Operations and Warning Section emphasized the importance of preparedness in disaster management.
In his message, he conveyed the directive set by Governor REYNALDO S. TAMAYO, JR. for the PDRRMO to train responders especially School DRR Coordinators in order for them to be equipped with essential skills and knowledge in rescue operations. In behalf of the Governor, Aquino also expressed his sincerest gratitude to the participants for their sense of volunteerism and their willingness to learn.
On the second day of training, high terrain/climbing incidents are among the most common eventualities recorded in the history of the country due to its mountainous milieu. As part of the Mountain Search and Rescue Module, participants of the DRRO training were trained on Ropemanship and Basic Rapelling. A simulation exercise followed where scenarios like rescuing an injured climber who has no approach trail to access the base of the climb were executed for the participants to employ belay and rappel techniques. Prior to the actual exercise, they have also undergone lessons on knot-tying, bending and hitching, and belaying.
Instructors of this training are selected personnel from the South Cotabato Provincial Police Office and the Bureau of Fire Protection – South Cotabato who were trained by the 505th Search and Rescue Group of the Philippine Air Force.
On the other hand, as part of the training module designed by the highly-skilled members of the South Cotabato Search and Rescue (SCOSAR) Team, the participants of the DRRO training were trained today on Victim Packaging, River Crossing and High Angle Rescue. This is to provide them with knowledge and skills required for safe, effective and reliable methods of rescuing trapped or injured persons from elevated structures or bodies of water that are difficult to access.
In this module, the fifty-four trainees learned several techniques on how to lift and transport victims from the location of the incident to a safer zone through technical rope rescue. They were also involved in rigorous practical exercises in a mock environment to test their skills and capabilities.
