Civil defence personnel crucial to disaster management, must receive advanced training: Yogi Adityanath

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said the role of civil defence personnel is no longer confined to wartime situations, but equally crucial in disaster management and relief, and ensuring prompt response during emergencies.

The chief minister chaired a review meeting on the functioning of the civil defence department here, where he stressed that the department's capabilities in relief and rescue, firefighting, first-aid, search and rescue, and disaster management should be further strengthened, an official statement said.

Adityanath directed officials to ensure that volunteers are trained in line with modern requirements and more people are involved in disaster management and civil defence activities.

He also emphasised the need for involving retired Army personnel in training programmes.

He said as schools and colleges are currently on vacation, volunteers associated with the National Cadet Corps (NCC), National Service Scheme (NSS), and similar organisations should also be involved in civil defence training.

According to the statement, the civil defence wing, established in 1962 following the Indo-China War, was entrusted with responsibilities related to disaster preparedness and response through an amendment to the Civil Defence Act in 2009.

At present, the department is engaged in relief and rescue operations, damage mitigation, firefighting, first aid, search and rescue, and the evacuation exercises.

Appreciating the department's awareness and training initiatives, the chief minister said, "An informed and well-trained society is essential for effective response during disasters." He emphasised that volunteers must be provided CPR and first-aid training, while also stressing the need for the use of sirens to alert citizens ahead of disasters.

Reviewing the department's action plan, the chief minister directed comprehensive civil defence plans for newly-covered districts be finalised at the earliest, and volunteer recruitment be completed according to requirements.

He said, "Newly-recruited volunteers should be provided modern training and essential equipment to deal with various types of disasters." He also directed large-scale mock drills involving all stakeholders at least twice a year in every civil defence district.

The chief minister emphasised that the civil defence department should be developed into a strong, modern, and capable institution in the field of public safety and disaster management, the statement said.