CL rescue teams train in Subic Bay

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    Members of the SBMA Search and Rescue Team demonstrate life-saving techniques for drowning victims and other seaborne rescue missions. Photo by Malou Dungog

    SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – The waters of Subic Bay again became the venue for Central Luzon rescue teams as they enhanced their skills and exchanged best practices during the Third Regional Water Search and Rescue (WaSAR) Simulation Exercises held at Driftwood beach, Barrio Barretto, Olongapo City, last Thursday.

    Twenty-eight rescue teams, including the multi-awarded unit from the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA)’s Fire Department, demonstrated their knowledge and expertise in victim recovery, water search and rescue, as well as boat handling and capsizing.

    The rescue teams came from the cities of Olongapo and Palayan, and the provinces of Bataan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, and Bulacan.

    Josefina Timoteo, director of the Office of Civil Defense in Region 3, said the activity was designed “basically to test the capabilities of our rescue teams, how they will use their equipment in rescuing victims especially in water (environment).”

    “Through this exercise, we also aim to enhance their skills and knowledge when it comes to responding to waterborne disasters,” she added.

    The WaSAR event was also used to introduce the so-called “incident command system,” which will be institutionalized across the region in order to bring about different incident management teams that will have specific roles in handling emergency situations.

    Timoteo said that this would help establish region-wide access to rescue teams that could be mobilized during disasters.

    At the same time, Timoteo said the simulation exercises also present a great opportunity for the different rescue teams to build and enhance camaraderie. “They will know each other, they will have time to bond and share their best practices in responding to situations,” she said.

    Capt. Norberto Lopez of the SBMA Fire Department also saw the exercises as a time to promote unity among rescue operators in Central Luzon.

    “We get to know each other better. And this engenders trust and unity,” Lopez added.

    The WaSAR exercise served as a follow-up activity to the National Disaster Consciousness Month last July. It was organized by the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council-Region 3, the SBMA, and the Olongapo City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council.

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