North Cotabato's emergency team trained on disaster response

NORTH COTABATO, Philippines - The provincial emergency team underwent another disaster response training to upgrade its capability to extend rescue and rehabilitation services to disaster-stricken communities.

The team is a rapid deployment group that can be mobilized in shortest time possible in any of North Cotabato’s 17 towns and in Kidapawan City, which is the provincial capital.

Cynthia Ortega, chief of the provincial government’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Division, on Tuesday said members of the North Cotabato Emergency Response Team studied for four days last week the “rope rescue procedures” in a training handled by the experts from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).

The training was held at the sprawling provincial capitol compound in Kidapawan City.

Ortega, whose office is operating under the ministerial control of North Cotabato Gov. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza, said the training was meant to improve the emergency reaction skills of the team.

Ortega said 31 members of the team were taught by BFP instructors on how to use ropes in performing life-saving missions and in the evacuation of accident victims to hospitals.

“All of these continuing capacity-building efforts to keep our provincial emergency response trim and ready for action are supported by Gov. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza,” Ortega said.

Actual rescue drills using ropes were held during the four-day training, according to Ortega.

She said Mendoza’s office has been providing the team with adequate fiscal and administrative support to ensure its efficiency in performing its emergency response duties.