Basic incident course marks Disaster Resilience month in Davao City

A three-day Basic Incident Command Training course was conducted by the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) for selected personnel from 14 offices in the city.

The training took place from July 5-7 and involved personnel from the Public Safety and Security Command Center, the Davao City Police Office (DCPO), the Bureau of Fire, Coast Guard, Central 911, the City Engineer’s Office, the City Health Office, the City Veterinarian’s Office, the City Planning and Development Office, the City Environment and National Resources Office, the City Agriculturist’s Office, and the City Social Welfare and Development Office.

The training aims to ensure that the personnel from various selected offices could harness their expertise, knowledge, and capacity to use the Incident Command System (ICS) for the on-scene emergency management system during calamities and other emergencies.

In an interview with Byaheng DO30, CDRRMO head Alfredo Baloran said that they launched the course in order to ensure that a common structure will be followed by offices as they respond during disasters.

“Gi open nato ang Incident Command System para sa mga member sa Disaster Council and Repatch Group and also sa mga Security Clusters para ma orient pud nato sila sa kining ICS para isa lang among common structure during response kon adunay kalamidad ( We opened the Incident Command System for the members of the Disaster Council and Repatch Group and also for the Security Cluster for them to become familiar with the ICS so that we will have a common structure during calamity),” he said.

Shianne Marco, head of the CHO Health Emergency Management Unit, who participated in the training, said it was important to ensure orderly systems in times of calamity.

“Ma-organize ang tanan nga trabaho ug walay magtinamakay during big disasters may it be man-made or man-induced or natural calamity. Ma-klaro ang linyada sa kada division or kada department sa local government unit even national offices (We will all have organized work and no overlapping of tasks during disasters may it be man-made, man-induced or natural calamities. We will have to have a clear line-up in each division or in each department of the local government unit and even national offices,” Marco said.

He added that “Mas han-ay siya kay naa siya’y mas clear nga line kung asa lang kutob ang imong trabaho at the same time nay accountability ang mga tao unsaon pagtrabaho sa responsibility nga gihatag sa ila (They will have a clear line where the boundaries of their work are and at the same time, they will have accountability to the responsibility given to them)”

More activities are scheduled by the CDRRMO for the National Disaster Resilience Month. These include the three-day rapid damage assessment and needs analysis for the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC), accreditation meeting with disaster volunteers, and Walk the Creek where the members of the CDRRMC would visit the creeks in the city that continuously overflows during heavy rains.

Meanwhile, Baloran called on Dabawenyos anew to stay on alert and follow the advisories given by the office and other concerned authorities to ensure safety during a calamity.

“Kitang tanan gina inform nako nga dapat nga kanunay ta nga mag andam and atong tan-awon kanunay ang sitwasyon ug maminaw ta kanunay sa mga advisories nga gina paabot sa atong opisina ug sa atong other concern agencies nga naga paabot sa mga weather disturbances nga moabot since naa ta sa rainy season (I wish to inform everyone that we should always be prepared and we should always check the situation and listen to the advisories given by our office and other concerned agencies that are giving advisories on weather disturbances)” Baloran said. CIO