RAMANATHAPURAM
Personnel of the district unit of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Fire and Rescue Services conducted a disaster management drill at the Collectorate here on Monday.
As the drill was taking place against the backdrop of the fatal fall of a college girl from a building during an unauthorised disaster management drill in Coimbatore a few days ago, officials and police took precautionary measures and ensured that only authorised personnel from the NDMA and Fire and Rescue Services department took part in the drill.
Public were kept at a distance as Collector S. Natarajan inspected the drill, which was organised to educate the people on protecting themselves and rescuing affected people during natural calamities, especially during the coming north-east monsoon season, and outbreak of fire.
Stating that NDMA and the Fire and Rescue Services personnel were the best trained to rescue people during natural calamities, Mr. Natarajan said as it would take some time for these personnel to reach disaster-hit sites, the local people should know how to protect themselves and rescue others, he said.
The personnel demonstrated how to extinguish fire, especially when cooking gas cylinders caused the fire. They also demonstrated how to rescue people caught in debris when buildings collapsed and how to carry the injured people after providing them first aid.