RDCC’s program for enhanced emergency response gains ground
In its relentless effort at improving emergency response to disasters, the Regional Disaster Coordinating Council (RDCC) has capitalized on PEER courses to enhance local capabilities.
RDCC Vice-Chair and Civil Defense 6 Director Rosario Cabrera said Region VI is among the few regions in the country which advocate PEER ( Program for the Enhancement of Emergency Response) because of its vulnerability to various geological hazards, like volcanic eruptions, floods, typhoons, tsunami.
PEER is a five-year regional training program of the US Agency for International Development, Office of US Foreign disaster Assistance.
Cabrera said PEER works with five partner countries –Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal and the Philippines.
As a course, it offers modules on collapsed structure search and rescue (CSSR), medical first responder (MFR) and hospital preparedness for emergencies (HOPE), with an overall goal to reduce mortality in mass casualty events and increase the survival rates of disaster victims.
So far, there were three batches on HoPE conducted in the region, with the third in-country courses conducted outside Metro Manila as well as the third locally funded.
Cabrera said most of the PEER graduates come from Western Visayas, and these graduates organized themselves into WeHELP (Western Visayas Health emergency Liaison for Preparedness) which has become an advocacy group aiming at continuous capability-building through HOPE courses in the different areas in the region.
Recent PEER activities included hospital drill in Kabankalan City, where the general scenario was a 7.3 earthquake damaging a district of Kabankalan, with PA Raul Banias, Dir. Cabrera, PSSupt. Ranulfo Damiar and other local officials. (PIA6/ESS)