BONTOC, Mountain Province – The skills and knowledge of the members of the Bontoc Emergency Response Team (BERT) have been enhanced following the recent conduct of Water Rescue Skills Training for Emergency Responders.
The participants are members of the BERT who have basic skills in water rescue operations; physically and mentally fit without existing cardiovascular, auditory, and sight medical problems.
Considering that the training requires hands-on exercises, it was conducted in Anilao Scuba Dive Center (ASDC), Barangay San Jose, Mabini, Batangas. The ASDC is an accredited dive center from the Philippine Commission on Scuba Sports Diving. The ASDC provides training courses on scuba diving, snorkeling, and windsurfing.
The instructor and trainer are Oliver Cromwell Cawed Claver, a son of Bontoc, Mountain Province who is now residing in Mabini, Batangas. He is a professional and accredited diver instructor from the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) which originated in Australia. He acquired his non-professional certification in 1999 and later in 2008, he became a full-fledged professional diver and trainer.
The other facilitators are also professional and accredited divers from the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI). They are Gina Faith Bao-in, Cherrielyn Caliao, and Elad Massad.
The training aimed to introduce to the participants the essential functions, maintenance, and manipulation of water rescue equipment. Also, this is to provide the participants with the knowledge and skills needed to develop safe strategies when encountering water emergencies.
Also, the training was conducted as part of the Bontoc Local Government Unit’s intervention and initiatives in increasing responders’ capacity in a disaster situation. This was realized following the drowning incident involving Kyneihner Waggay Sawi, the 11- year old boy who drowned on November 22, 2020, at the Kadchog section of the Chico River. His body was found floating in the Chico River in Sitio Alawey, Barangay Tocucan, Bontoc after three days of search, rescue, and retrieval operations.
During the four-day training, the participants were able to learn the theories and concepts of water rescue operations with the aid of a video presentation and table-top discussions. Queries from the participants were acknowledged and clarified by the instructor and co-facilitators. Further, briefing of the participants such as the water safety procedures, and the right attitude when underwater to avoid uneventful water emergencies especially when faced with the actual response operations were highlighted. Individual evaluation of hand signals to be used was also conducted.
Demonstration with the hands-on application followed after the discussions. These common water rescue equipment and gadgets are compressed air tanks with regulators, buoyancy control devices (BCD), masks, fins, water shoes, wet suits, and weight belts.
Prior to the actual immersion to a deeper depth underwater, a review of the basic swimming techniques of the participants was conducted. Safety measures, as well as the proper swimming techniques, were emphasized to them to avoid uneventful situations underwater.
When doing water rescue operations, the trainer and facilitators emphasized practicing the buddy-buddy system for safety measures.
Different sea depths of seven meters, 12 meters, and 15 meters deep were completed by the participants. The main aim of the simulation is for the participants to get acquainted with the water rescue equipment when underwater, proper manipulation and maneuvering of equipment and gadgets along with the right attitude. During the simulation exercises underwater, the participants were able to familiarize their selves to the underwater condition in a period of time. Hand signals were also the main mode of communication when underwater.
Various learning was imparted to the participants as shared during the closing ceremonies on the last day of the training. Among the notable sharing by the participants is the practice of the buddy-buddy system; and the right attitude and ability to follow instructions.
The participants expressed their gratitude to the Bontoc LGU thru the Municipal DRRM Office led by MDRRM Officer Johanna Padaen for showing the trust and confidence that the participants will complete the four-day skills training course. They assured that the new learning taught to them shall be shared with their fellow Bontoc ERT members.
With this, Padaen congratulated the participants for hurdling the strenuous and mind-blowing water rescue skills training. She commended the participant’s determination and eagerness to complete the said course despite the everyday evaluation given to them.
The budget for the conduct of the training was sourced from the 5% Calamity Fund of the Local DRRM Fund under Disaster Preparedness activities.
Meanwhile, a follow-up water rescue skills evaluation is scheduled for August 2022 along the Chico River. By Mei Shalom Ayan & Alpine L. Killa-Malwagay
