Una, September 30:- Under the guidelines of the Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority, School Disaster Preparedness and Demonstration Programmes will be organized in all government and private senior secondary schools of Una district over the next six months. The objective of these programmes is to train students and teachers with the necessary information, practical skills and safety measures to effectively deal with disasters and emergency situations.
Chairman of the District Disaster Management Authority and Deputy Commissioner, Una, Jatin Lal, said that these programmes are being organized under the School Safety Programme. In the first phase, the programme will be organized in a total of 201 senior secondary schools in the district. These include 141 government senior secondary schools and 60 private schools. In these schools, trained teams will provide information every month on the ‘Drop, Cover and Hold’ safety drill during an earthquake, preparation of a family disaster management plan and the family emergency kit. In addition, demonstrations of emergency response equipment and resources, as well as training in Basic Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and first aid techniques, will also be provided. This initiative is being implemented in accordance with the guidelines of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 and the National School Safety Policy.
The Deputy Commissioner said that under the programme, a disaster preparedness and demonstration session of approximately one hour and 30 minutes will be organized in each school. During the training, students and teachers will be provided information about safety procedures to be followed during various disasters, along with practical demonstrations. In addition, students and teachers will be made aware of fire safety measures, along with a practical demonstration of the safe and effective use of fire extinguishers. The process of safe evacuation during an emergency and an emergency evacuation drill will also be conducted so that students and school staff can take the necessary steps with composure and promptness in the event of any disaster.
The Deputy Commissioner said that this initiative is not limited to providing students with information on staying safe only during disasters, but is also an important step towards developing a sense of safety, alertness, quick response and community responsibility among them. Regular training and mock drills at the school level will enable students to become more capable of ensuring their own safety as well as helping others during emergency situations.
