Daily Times

A seven-day long Collapsed Structure Search & Rescue (CSSR) course concluded on Wednesday at Managers Training Centre of Emergency Services Academy (Rescue 1122).

A total of 28 volunteers of Aga Khan Planning & Building service, were trained in this course.

In this regard, a closing ceremony of CSSR course was held at Managers Training Centre of Rescue 1122 Headquarters at Thokar Niaz Baig. The Coordinator Response Emergency Management Aga Khan Agency for Habitat Peter Stevenson, Salman Shah Head of Emergency Management, Aga Khan Planning & Building Service, Colonel Akbar Baloch Consultant, Registrar Emergency Services Academy, Dr Muhammad Farhan Khalid, instructors and others were also present on the occasion.

Speaking on the closing ceremony of the CSSR course, Rescue 1122 Director General Dr Rizwan Naseer congratulated all the successful participants of the CSSR course. He said that not only this professional training course would also enhance the capacity building of course participants but also support to evacuate the helpless emergency victims of earthquake and disaster.

He said that all participants would contribute for a safe and resilient Pakistan by utilising these knowledge skills through community involvement.

On this occasion, the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat Emergency Response Management Coordinator Peter Stevenson, appreciated the efforts put by instructors to make this course successful. He expressed deep satisfaction on the standards of the course. He also thanked Punjab Emergency Service for facilitating this course as per standards of the CSSR and congratulated all successful participants.

The training was imparted about different techniques and methods of urban search and rescue, search techniques to stimulate victims, worksite triage and marking system, operation safety, search and location techniques, lifting and stabilizing the load, practical lifting and moving the loads, organising and starting a CSSR operation, cutting breaching, lifting, shoring methods, structure and damage types, cross pattern and line search, tools, equipment and accessories, rescue strategies and technique and construction material.

Later, Rescue 1122 DG Dr Rizwan Naseer and Peter Stevenson distributed certificates among the successful participants. Stevenson also presented souvenirs to Dr Rizwan Naseer and Registrar Emergency Service Academy Dr M Farhan Khalid on behalf of Aga Khan Agency for Habitat.

Published in Daily Times, October 25^th 2018.