39 youth complete emergency response training

21 October 2022

Thirty-nine youth from 37 barangays have completed the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training on Friday.

Spearheaded by the Davao City Sangguniang Kabataan Federation, the five-day training course, conducted on October 17-21 at the Bamboo Sanctuary in Malagos, was administered in partnership with the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO).

Friday’s graduates make up the 4th batch trained by the CDRRMO under the CERT program this year. A fifth and final batch is slated to be trained on November 7 to 11.

The program aims to cultivate young people who are active community members with the knowledge and skills to become capable first responders to various emergencies.

CDRRMO Emergency Medical Services Instructor Reynald Alcala said the trainees were taught how to appropriately and safely respond to fire incidents, medical emergencies, search and rescue, collapse structure incidents, and other emergency situations.

Basic survival skills such as radio communication handling, bandaging, splinting, lifting and moving were also taught.

SK Federation Chair Councilor Jaffar Marohomsalic said the CERT training is aimed at filling up the gaps in the city’s emergency response capacity from the community level.

“Ang main point gyud ani is sa kadako sa city, dili agad-agad maabot ang atong magresponde na 911. So, that’s why, ang gusto sa city government na sa barangay mismo, naa gyud makaresponde agad while nagahulat ta sa atong ambulance na maabot sa mismong area (The main point of this program is, due to the size of the city, 911 responders cannot immediately arrive in the scene. So, that is why the city government wants those in the barangays to respond while waiting for our ambulance to arrive),” Mahoromsalic said.

He added that the 39 youth who finished the CERT training will be endorsed to the barangay level to augment the response capacity of their community.

The graduates will also share the skills and information they have gained from the training to other people in their communities, Mahoromsalic said.

Meanwhile, City Information Office Officer-in-Charge Harvey Lanticse said this effort by the SK Federation warrants commendation as this “does not only enhance the skills of the youth when it comes to disaster preparedness and disaster response, but also promotes their participation sa pagsiguro (in ensuring), sa pagsecure sa siyudad (in securing the city) and sa paglambo sa atong Dakbayan (and in the city’s growth).” CIO