Tamil Nadu has created a team of nearly 14,500 ‘first responders’ in areas vulnerable to natural disasters. They will be the first ones to be present at the spot to carry out emergency operations when a disaster strikes.

In 2016, an analysis was done on previous disasters, including the tsunami of 2015. Based on the analysis, mitigation measures were prepared.

Vulnerable areas were classified as very high, high, moderate and low. An analysis was also done on the source, the cause, intensity and duration, and impact on the economy.

A multi-sectoral team was constituted at the field level for unified efforts to handle any disaster, said K Satya Gopal, Commissioner of Revenue Administration, Disaster Management and Mitigation, Tamil Nadu. He was speaking at a two-day CII national summit on Climate Change & Disaster Risk Reduction.

In all vulnerable areas, youngsters with skills in swimming and ability to climb were identified and classified as ‘first responders.’ They will help in rescue and evacuation before the professional forces arrive.

The government has also initiated a link between first responders and multi-sectoral teams constituted in vulnerable areas. So far, 1,145 teams have been formed with each team consisting nearly ten first responders, Gopal said.