Tura, Oct 10: The Final and 4th Phase Training for community volunteers under Upscaling of Aapda Mitra Scheme started from today the 10th October, 2022 to 22nd October, 2022 at SMELC, Dakopgre, Tura. The program was organized by the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), West Garo Hills Tura.
Stressing on the importance of Aapda Mitra or Friends of the Disaster, the Chief Guest of the Inaugural function, Dolrich B G Momin, Project Director, DRDA and CEO, DDMA, West Garo Hills said that the volunteers once trained would work as First Responders and help those in need when disaster whether natural or man-made occurs in the neighbourhood.
Informing that the training is being conducted under the directives of the Government of India, he said that this was the last phase of the total 200 volunteers training in the district with 50 numbers in each phase and these Aapda Mitra volunteers would be given training on First Aid, Search and rescue operations, Fire & Emergency Services, lifting or moving injured persons, use of VHS sets and many more.
District Disaster Management Officer, West Garo Hills Tura James D Sangma informed that the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is the implementing agency for organising this scheme for training of Community Volunteers with a focus on training of 200 community volunteers per district in disaster response in selected flood prone areas in India. He also said that so far 150 volunteers had already been trained in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Phase.
Others who also spoke during the programme included Sub-Divisional Medical Officer (SDMO), Tura Dr. Priya Sengse Sangma and Deputy Comptroller, Civil Defence & Home Guards, Tura Sentilla Marak.