CAMP FLORENDO, San Fernando City, La Union – True to its commitment and in support to the PNP’s drive to strengthen the disaster response capability, forty-two (42) policewomen of Police Regional Office 1 (PRO1) finished the Disaster Preparedness Search and Rescue Operations Training and received their certificates during the closing ceremony held at the Concord Building here on Tuesday afternoon (August 4).
Police Senior Superintendent Reynaldo G. Biay, PRO1’s Regional Chief of the Directorial Staff, said the specialized training for the policewomen is designed to prepare them for possible disaster response and deployment in search and rescue operations.
“This is a great step towards disaster preparedness and our police being at the forefront of rescue operations, we need to double our preparations to ensure safety and security of our people. And, our policewomen are not exemption, we trained them also as responders for any eventualities and especially for rescue operations of women and children,” Supt. Biay said.
Included in the training are drills simulating hypothetical emergency scenarios that require practical application of rescue skills in first aid, basic life support, boat-handling, knot-tying, deployment of life-saving buoys and devices, high-angle rescue, and removal of debris and breeching in collapsed structures.
The five-day activity was participated in by policewomen assigned in different police stations of Pangasinan (10), La Union (8), Ilocos Norte (8), Ilocos Sur (8) and eight (8) from PRO1 Headquarters.
Meanwhile, Senior Superintendent Marlou C. Chan, Deputy Director for Operations, said PRO1 continuously updates its own enhanced action plan contained in the Letter of Instruction “Saklolo” to satisfy the requirements for disaster preparedness capability of public safety services as provided in Republic Act 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Reduction and Management Act of 2010.
The DRDO is also optimistic that the new graduates can surely prove their competence and withstand all pressures at extreme conditions.
The said training was initiated by the Regional Police Community Relations Division of PRO1 headed by Superintendent Genaro V. Sapiera as part of the gender and development program of the FJGAD Section.
By Dexter A. See