In the Netherlands: ERUF hones disaster-response skills

CEBU, Philippines - The Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation (ERUF) based in Cebu City is undergoing a 10-day capability training in Haarlemmermeer in the Netherlands that will enable it to train local disaster units in Cebu and the Philippines in general.

Nagiel Bañacia, head of Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, said once the team finishes the course, it will get Level 2 certification in aircraft firefighting and extrication of a vehicular accident victim from a car.

Bañacia said the training is part of the sisterhood agreement between Cebu City and Haarlemmermeer, which has been in effect for 25 years now.

Bañacia and other City Hall officials led by Mayor Tomas Osmeña are currently in the Netherlands to mark the 25th anniversary of the sisterhood pact.

Citing the expansion of Cebu’s lone airport in Lapu-Lapu City, Bañacia said there is also a growing need to equip emergency units in fighting fires on aircrafts.

The Mactan-Cebu International Airport services regular trips to and from various destinations across the Philippines and the world.

With the ongoing construction of a second terminal devoted for international flights, more aircrafts are expected to fly in and out of the airport.

Osmeña, who witnessed the first phase of the training, welcomed the development in a post on his Facebook page, saying the team will now be more capable in responding to emergencies, including terror attacks.

ERUF, he said, will be also able to rescue people trapped in flipped vehicles due to a bomb, as well as dismantle such vehicles enough to let a doctor treat the wounded passenger even without moving him.

Osmeña added that the emergency unit was also trained on crushing “stubborn doors” of cars involved in accidents.

“Most do not know how capable ERUF really is. I wouldn't be surprised if they are the most capable paramedical organization in the Philippines. They are not only trained here in Holland, they are trained to such high standards that many of them are certified to train European paramedics,” Osmeña’s post read.

“At the height of the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) outbreak in the early 2000s, they were the first and (at one point) only paramedics in Asia certified to handle SARS. They are truly world-class, and this is because of the generosity of our sister city of Haarlemmermeer,” the post further read.

For the mayor, Cebu City’s cooperation with Haarlemmermeer is more than just a simple cultural exchange of diplomatic ties.

“The (tie-up) has improved the City of Cebu, and ERUF is just an example of it,” his post read.

Osmeña also announced that the citizens of Haarlemmermeer have raised up to half a million pesos in donations for Cebu City Medical Center’s supplies and equipment.

In this trip, Osmeña will also try to lobby to Dutch officials the possibility of taking their flower growing and packaging technology to Cebu City.

He hopes that with such technology, Cebu City can develop further its flower industry in the mountain barangays and export flowers to Korea and Japan. —/JMD (FREEMAN)