Govt to revitalize Civil Defence sector, says DG

ISLAMABAD—The Government has decided to revitalize and reactivate the entire Civil Defence system by changing its concepts and making it a public safety department.
“We have learnt a lot of lessons from the earthquake disaster of October 8, where about 75,000 people perished in few seconds,” Director General Civil Defence Air Marshal(R) Sarfaraz Arshad Toor told APP in an interview here Wednesday.
The department has submitted reports and proposals to the government about the restructuring and expansion of the civil defence system in the country. “But now the time has come to put it on ground for serving the nation in a big way,” he said.
“We hope the department will get a new role to play in emergencies like flood, earthquake, collapse of buildings, eruption of fire, road accidents and etc.” Sarfaraz Arshad said.
He said the Civil Defence has embarked on a nationwide program to train volunteers and government servants, in rescue, relief and rehabilitation for emergencies like the October earthquake, he said.
“Now onward the civil defence volunteers will be pushed into service swiftly after getting latest equipment and adequate funds for putting the directorate on sound lines. Even we hope to get substantial funds from the assistance Pakistan is receiving for rescue and rehabilitation of the quake ravaged areas,” the DG said.
According to the United Nations World Disaster Survey Report 2% of the country’s population is affected every year due to disaster-related events, he said, adding that the civil defence department would try to help the people in a big way after its expansion.
The department has decided to train thousands of volunteers in association with volunteer movement the government has already launched in the country, Sarfaraz Arshad added.
The Civil Defence would impart training to volunteers in 8 different training centres of the department, already functioning in the four provinces and Azad Kashmir through 68 different courses. In addition separate courses have been arranged for female volunteers, Sarfaraz said.
“The obsolete concept of black out and such other drills, the directorate has eschewed as the standards of security and safety have changed world wide,” he said.
The DG said since the October 8 devastating earthquake 18,000 civil defence personals have been actively participating in relief and rehabilitation activities in NWFP and AJK.
He said presently two rescue and search teams of international standard from Karachi and Rawalpindi were functioning in the country, adding that Prime Minister had announced one month salary in reward to these teams on their remarkable efforts in rescue work at Margalla Tower.
DG Civil Defence said that the department has proposed to set up 320 fire stations throughout out the country with modern equipments with the help of United Kingdom, which is under consideration.—APP