Coimbatore: The disaster management drill at the Kovai Kalaimagal College of Arts and Science at Vellimalaipattinam, during which a girl died while jumping from the second floor, had apparently violated all norms for conducting such exercises.
Experts in disaster management say pushing someone from the second floor of a building in the name of training itself is utter callousness. Besides, the trainer lacked proper understanding of the building where the training was conducted, an essential element for disaster management. Any expert trainer would have known that the sun shade was protruding and a person falling down might hit it.
Involving students in such dangerous acts is itself a violation, said a police officer. “This is not disaster management training at all, it’s nothing but endangering the life of students. He said that whenever fire and rescue services personnel organised disaster management drills, only their personnel would demonstrate the methods to escape from fire or other exigencies,” said the officer.
Police authorities who are now scrutinizing the credentials of the trainer, Arumugam, say that though it was not mandatory, the college authorities as well as the trainer should have informed them of the drill.
The training started with theory sessions in the morning. Post lunch, the practical session started with the trainer involving the students. As many as 10 boys had jumped from the second floor of the building. After that, the trainer had called the girls and some of them also jumped a height of about 20 feet into the net held by students on the ground. But Logeswari, who died in the fall, was reluctant right from the beginning. Disaster management experts say that forcing someone who is reluctant to perform such dangerous acts is also a violation.
“It was wrong on the part of the trainer to have made the students hold the net for the person to jump from second floor. He should have taken trained people to hold the net,’’ a police officer said. Safety gear like helmets should have been given to students during such drills.
The District Disaster Management Agency, a government body chaired by the collector, organizes such drills in colleges. But the agency would bring experts from the National Disaster Response Force from Arakkonam to train the students. “Or else, fire service personnel would be invited to demonstrate and train. In this case, Arumugam claims he has a certificate from the National Disaster Management Authority for holding such sessions. The authenticity of his claim will be probed,’’ said a senior officer.
S Vijayasekar, joint director, fire and rescue services, west region, Coimbatore, says that there were a lot of violations at this event. “When we conduct such sessions, students will not be involved at all.’’
Vijayasekar said that he would send a circular to all colleges to inform the fire service department in advance if they organize such drills.
