LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The municipal government created the support group for the municipal disaster risk reduction and management council’s emergency operations center in preparation for the possible downgrading of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) to general community quarantine (GCQ) in Luzon by May 15, 2020.
Mayor Romeo K. Salda issued Administrative Order No. 007, series of 2020, stating that part of the municipal government’s emergency operations center support groups is the information management group that will gather and categorize data coming from all possible sources during response operations and transform them into actionable information for the use of DRRM managers, decision makers, cluster leaders, response operatives, media, potential volunteers, and donors, as well as the affected population themselves.
The information management group will be composed of a leader, co-leader and members from the different government offices, concerned government agencies and potential volunteer groups.
Further, upon activation of the emergency operations center, the municipal chief executive designated certain government officials and employees to report for duty to provide the required services as the service activation group.
Salda claimed the emergency operations center shall be activated if more than 1 barangay becomes involved in an incident; multiple departments and agencies are involved; the incidents could expand rapidly; the municipality is at risk; a similar incident in the past requires activation; an emergency is eminent such as tropical cyclone forecast, flood warnings, among others; there is anticipated significant impacts on the population; there is a need for support and acquiring additional resources or as directed by the concerned authorities.
Prior to activation, all groups or teams shall meet to plan for schedules and responsibilities of each member who shall render duty at the emergency operations center.
Salda asserted the emergency operations center shall serve as the link between the response clusters referred to as resources providers and the incidents management team that is referred to as the resources employer during operations, and that the team submits requests to the center then the center shall coordinate with response clusters to provide the requested resources.
Directives from government agencies provide for continuous disaster monitoring and mobilization of instrumentalities and entities of the local governments, civil society organizations (CSOS), private groups, and organized volunteers, to utilize their facilities and resources for the protection and preservation of life and properties during emergencies pursuant to existing policies and procedures.
At present, the La Trinidad municipal disaster risk reduction and management council employees the concepts of the incident command system and cluster approach as tools in responding to disasters and emergencies, along with the activation of the emergency operations center in the municipality.
The center ensures continuous disaster monitoring, multi-stakeholders coordination, information management, and facilitation of resources mobilization in anticipation of or to support incidents operations but with limited personnel in its activation.
By Hent
