District Collector U.V. Jose at a meeting at the collectorate on Friday to discuss the formation of village-level disaster response squads. more-in The district administration has decided to form village-level rescue squads with the participation of skilled persons from diverse fields to mitigate threats to life and property during natural calamities. An official declaration on the formation of the squads will be made here on Monday. District Collector U.V. Jose, who held the first round of discussions with experts on Friday to finalise the formation of the squads, said there would be 10 community-level rescue squads in the first phase of the project covering ecologically-sensitive areas including landslip-prone regions and coastal zones. “Around 50 trained members will be part of each of the 10 local squads which will work directly under the tahsildars concerned,” he added. Officials said the cooperation of the police and Revenue and Fire and Rescue Services departments would be sought at all possible levels for quick response to calamities and effective field operations. Active Network Group of Emergency Life Savers (ANGELS), launched by the district administration to streamline conventional ambulance services, will impart scientific training to volunteers. Selection It was also decided to call for applications from interested volunteers, social workers, drivers, skilled labourers, swimmers, and those with experience in disaster management for joining the proposed project. It will accommodate only medically-fit volunteers after a personal interview by project leaders. Revenue Department officials said the decision to form community-level rescue volunteers’ squad was taken during Gandhi Jayanti observance in the district. Those selected to the squads will have to work on the instructions of the District Disaster Management Authority.

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