School Safety Preparedness Drill: India

School Safety Preparedness Drill: India

The School Safety Preparedness Drill was initiated by GeoHazards Society to commemorate the Kangra Earthquake of 1905 which killed over 19,000 people on April 4th 1905, as it is important to keep the memories of past disasters alive to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past. Since 2009, we have been organising the School Safety Preparedness Drills in various States to mark the anniversary of the Kangra earthquake and to get schools in earthquake prone regions started on their path towards preparedness. Starting with a drill across a few north Indian states in which 10,000 people took part, the number of people taking part has grown to 50,893 in April 2013.

With the recent reminders of our exposure to hazards coming in from prepared nations such as New Zealand and Japan, it is imperative that we in India start taking swift steps towards preparedness. The School Safety Preparedness Drill is an earthquake drill based on a scenario earthquake happening near enough to affect the school. At 11:00 am on the 4th of April every year, all the students and staff of many schools in hazard prone areas in India practice the Drop, Cover, Hold and then evacuate to a pre-decided safe location, and carry out the necessary post evacuation procedures.This is an initiative of GeoHazards Society, the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, and GeoHazards International.

Originally, the drill was organised with Tibetan schools in earthquake zones which soon spread to other schools in earthquake prone States. In 2009, over 10,000 students in Tibetan Schools in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi and Meghalaya took part in the drill (report). With the addition of students from Tibetan Schools in Jammu & Kashmir, and West Bengal, the number of students participating in the drill rose up to 16000 in 2010 (report) and 17500 in 2011 (report). In 2012 the included non-Tibetan schools from Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh taking the total number of participating students and teachers went up to 28410 (report).School children in about 165 Schools (in J & K, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, West Bengal, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh), and a school in Myanmar took part in the mass earthquake preparedness activity of 2013 (report).

This year the School Safety Preparedness Drill is going to be held at 11:00 am IST on Friday the 4th April 2014.This year also schools from North India, NE India and all Tibetan schools are going to participate in the mass earthquake drill. Schools within the National School Safety Programme (NSSP) are also going to participate in the drill. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has already instructed 17 NSSP states within earthquake zone IV & V to organise the drill in all 400 schools within each state. Please click here to read the letter to the states.   

Some useful resource materials:

1) A brief note on the School Safety Preparedness Drill 2014

2) Poster showing Drop Cover Hold on

3) Poster showing how to do Drop Cover Hold on

4) Checklist for Evacuation Drills 

5) Learn what to do & not to do

6) Drop Cover Hold Saves Lives 

http://www.geohaz.in/index.php?page=12

http://www.geohaz.in/upload/files/News%20Letter/SSPD/GHS.pdf

Vacancies at National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) New Delhi March 2014

The National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) was constituted under an Act of Parliament with a vision to play the role of a premier institute for capacity development in India and the region. The efforts in this direction that began with the formation of the National Centre for Disaster Management (NCDM) in 1995 gained impetus with its redesignation as the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) for training and capacity development. Under the Disaster Management Act 2005, NIDM has been assigned nodal responsibilities for human resource development, capacity building, training, research, documentation and policy advocacy in the field of disaster management.

Both as a national Centre and then as the national Institute, NIDM has performed a crucial role in bringing disaster risk reduction to the forefront of the national agenda. It is our belief that disaster risk reduction is possible only through promotion of a "Culture of Prevention" involving all stakeholders. We work through strategic partnerships with various ministries and departments of the central, state and local governments, academic, research and technical organizations in India and abroad and other bi-lateral and multi-lateral international agencies.

NIDM is proud to have a multi-disciplinary core team of professionals working in various aspects of disaster management. In its endeavour to facilitate training and capacity development, the Institute has state-of-the-art facilities like class rooms, seminar hall, a GIS laboratory and video-conferencing facilities etc. The Institute has a well-stocked library exclusively on the theme of disaster management and mitigation. The Institute provides training in face-to-face, on-line and self-learning mode as well as satellites based training. In-house and off-campus face-to-face training to the officials of the state governments is provided free of charge including modest boarding and lodging facilities.

NIDM provides technical support to the state governments through the Disaster Management Centres (DMCs) in the Administrative Training Institutes (ATIs) of the States and Union Territories. Presently NIDM is supporting thirty such centres. Six of these centres are being developed as Centres of Excellence in the specialised areas of flood risk management, earthquake risk management, cyclone risk management, drought risk management, landslides risk management and management of industrial disasters. Eleven larger states (Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Odisha) have been provided with additional centres to cater their needs in this area.

NIDM hosts the SAARC Disaster Management Centre (SDMC) and works as its national focal point.

Our vision is to create a Disaster Resilient India by building the capacity at all levels for disaster prevention and preparedness.

As summer sets in, concerns mount about water quality

March 27, 2014, DHNS:

As the summer sets in and the demand for water rises in the City, there are serious concerns about the quality of water being supplied by private firms through tankers. 

Surprisingly, government agencies say they do not monitor the source and quality of water, and passed the buck. 

Water is especially scarce in areas where the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) does not supply Cauvery water.

Areas once part of erstwhile City Municipal Councils (CMCs) and Town Municipal Councils (TMCs) such as Yelahanka, Bannerghatta Road, Magadi Road, parts of Peenya, Tumkur Road, Kanakapura Road and 110 villages do not get Cauvery water. 

People have to depend on private water tankers or sink borewells. Private supplies claim they supply Cauvery water. 

But people complain that despite paying huge sums of money, the water they get is of bad quality. It’s hard water (having high mineral content) and has foul odour. Thus, it has to be treated before use. 

Government agencies supposedly responsible for monitoring the quality of water simply passed the buck. Sources in the BWSSB said the board had written to the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) urging it to check the water quality. 

It is the Palike which issues trade licences to private suppliers and hence should check the source and quality of water. But nothing has been done till date, the sources stressed. 

But BBMP health officials said it was not their job. “Suppliers are issued certificates by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board. Most of them provide water drawn from borewells on the outskirts,” they said. 

“We do not fix the price or check the quality. It comes under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the health and family welfare department should look into it.” 

Officials in the Directorate of Health and Family Welfare Service insisted it is the BBMP’s job. “We just provide our laboratories for testing. But the testing and quality check should be monitored by the Palike. So far no organisation has done any testing.” 

Interestingly, at a recent meeting to assess health issues and the summer preparedness, the BWSSB reportedly reminded the Palike that it was its job to check the water quality. 

The BWSSB said it had 78 tankers supplying Cauvery water while the BBMP maintained there were 70 authorised private suppliers. 

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/395139/as-summer-sets-concerns-mount.html

Msg:: From Chief Warden's Office ::FORMAT FOR ELECTION DUTY 2014 ENCLOSED

KINDLY FIND ENCLOSED FORMAT FOR ELECTION DUTY 2014 AND CONSENT LETTER, FURNISH NAMES OF WARDENS FOR ELECTION DUTY ALONG WITHG THEIR MOBILE NO., ACCOUNT NUMBER AND 2 PASSPORT SIZE PHOTOS.

 

       SUBMIT DULY FILLED LIST BY TOMMORROW, WE HAD INFORMED ABOUT THE SAME ON 15TH MARCH 2014 MEETING  AND THE DEADLINE SET WAS FOR TOMMORROW 29TH MARCH 2014.

REGARDS,

 

 

                                                                    

Copy with compliments to:

Sri. Om Prakash, IPS,

DGP, Commandant General Home Guards, Director Civil Defence & DG-KSFES/SDRF

Sri.G.B.Kawri, KSPS

Commandant, HG & CD Academy and Incharge DCG.

Dr.P.R.S.CHETAN

Officer Commanding (WS) and Chief Warden

office of the Director General of Police and

Director Civil Defence 

# 1 Annaswamy Mudaliar Road

Bangalore 560042.

P H No : 080 25576851

Fire Safety gets Go-By at Complex

A tank meant to store water to douse accidental fires has been pulled down, and the space is being
used to store construction material at the Jayanagar Shopping Complex.
Despite a fire incident in 2008 there, the authorities are slack about public safety in the bustling
market area.
A new building is coming up to house shops from the old vegetable market building, and some exits
of the complex have been blocked. The parking area has also been taken over for construction-
related activity.
In addition, vendors of various wares occupy the corridors and pathways, blocking movement of
both people and vehicles.
"In an application to the BBMP commissioner and deputy commissioner, the main point I made is
that it would be impossible for the shopkeepers and customers to escape in case of an untoward
incident," says Venkatesh K V, vice-president of the Jayanagar Shopping Complex Merchants'
Association.
Venkatesh, owner of Nagasri Book House, says even the fire extinguishing system that was installed
after the 2008 incident is now defunct.
"The tank meant to supply water to it has been pulled down to make space for storing construction
material," he says.
With products from the surrounding shops covering a good part of the corridor and exits from what
used to be the parking lot being blocked for the upcoming building, he feels business people's
safety is as much in jeopardy as that of the general public.
"If anything were to happen, there wouldn't be space left for people to move out of here," he says.
"We have approached the police and the BBMP commissioner over the past four to five years. In
fact, it was MLA Vijay Kumar who took us to meet the commissioner and deputy commissioner, who
have promised action, but we don't see any results," he adds.
B N Vijay Kumar, who represents the Jayanagar constituency, denies that the merchants'
association has discussed with him any problems save their allotment of shops in the upcoming
building. He says he did take the association to meet the BBMP joint commissioner. He has
promised to arrange a meeting with the higher authorities after the elections.
"The last time there was a fire it was an accident. For 20-30 years, nothing like that happened. I
don't wish for it to happen again," he says.
Quiz him further on the possibilities of such accidents recurring, and he promptly says, "In my
opinion, I don't think the construction work and a functional fire extinguishing system can co-exist
in the old building. In the new building, the shopkeepers will have all facilities."

http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/bangalore/Fire-Safety-gets-Go-By-at-Complex/2014/03/27/article2133211.ece1

Government of India Election Commission 26-March-2014 11:24 IST Fact Sheet on Karnataka General Elections 2014 Fact sheet - 22

The 16 th Lok Sabha elections would
be held in the 28 Parliamentary
Constituencies of Karnataka on
single poll day, namely April 17,
2014. Polling will be held at 24,648
polling stations spread across 18,627tpolling station locations. Out of the state’s total of 4,46,94,658 electors as on 14th February 2014, 25.14% are in the age group 18–29, while women constitute 48.97%. The poll expenditure limit per candidate for all constituencies in the state is
Rs.70 lakhs.
For more details, Click here:

F/C N0 :- 563/2014... DATE :- 25-03-2014 @ 20:15 hrs ADDS:- Vijaya Bank Colony, 3rd Cross, Gopal Reddy Layout, Banaswadi, Behind New Baldwin's School, B'lore Type Of Fire :- Tiles Godown Fire

F/C N0 :- 545/2014...DATE :- 24-03-2014 TIME :- 15:04 hrs.... ADDS :- Opposite To J.P.Morghan, Meru Cab Yard, Kadubesanahalli, Marathahalli towards Sarjapura Road, Service Road, Type Of Fire :- Cab Fire

The Garuda Force of the Centre for Counter Terrorism, Bangalore, along with the Quick Reaction Team of Northern Range conducted a series of counter terror operations and mock drill

BELGAUM: The Jain Heritage School on Friday was swarming with police personnel and commandos as 'terrorists' had taken three people 'hostage'. After two hours of tense battle between the 'terrorists' and commandos, the day ended on a happy note with the rescue of the 'hostages'.

Don't get alarmed-this was part of a mock drill. The Garuda Force of the Centre for Counter Terrorism, Bangalore, along with the Quick Reaction Team of Northern Range conducted a series of counter terror operations and mock drill at the Jain Heritage School. Around 70 commandos demonstrated rescue operations by simulating a terror scene at the school. The mock drill had planning, negotiation, execution and co-ordination with local officers.

The scene unfolded thus: All of a sudden, four 'terrorists' came to the school and took three persons hostage and kept them in the second floor of an underconstruction school building. They then demanded a ransom of Rs 5 crore and release of a terrorist lodged at Hindalga Jail in exchange for the three they had taken hostage. They then sent a 'hostage' along with their contact number and list of demands. The police carried out negotiations with the 'terrorists' for a few minutes. When talks failed, the police decided to go all out in their efforts to rescue the remaining two 'hostages'. After nearly two hours of battle, the commandos of Garuda Force and the just-trained policemen along with the city police 'rescued' the 'hostages'. During the battle, two 'terrorists' were 'killed' and two were 'arrested'.

Officials from the telecommunication, corporation, district health office, Hescom, fire service and other departments concerned were also involved in the drill.

After the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai, the Union home minister had instructed all state governments to have a special police force to tackle terror activities. Accordingly, the state government had formed the Garuda Force. This Force is now training select police personnel, called the Quick Reaction Team, at Peranwadi Training School in Belgaum. The team comprises 144 police personnel and 14 police officers from across the Northern Range.

MV Ramkrishna Prasad, during his one-hour lecture, explained how and what is to be done when terrorists strike. He also mentioned the role of the police stations and the immeidate role of the police officers.

Caption: Garuda Police Force and newly trained Quick Response Team seen taking position to attack terrorist who are holed up in the first floor of underconstruction building jain heritage school.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/City/Bangalore/School-becomes-stage-for-mock-Telangana-drill/articleshow/32566180.cms

SRINAGAR, Mar 22::::Divisional Commandant HG urges for rendering service to society

Mar 22: A Civil Defence meeting was held at Regional Civil Defence Control Centre, Kothi Bagh Srinagar here today under the Chairmanship of S.P Divisional Commandant Home Guards (HG), Kashmir, Romesh Kumar Bhat. 

The meeting was attended by the Chief Warden Civil Defence Srinagar Omer K. Nedou, Dy. Chief Warden, Mauzam Bakshi and other Divisional Wardens and Volunteers. 

The Divisional Commandant emphasized on all the Wardens to gear up the Civil Defence activities and make the warden service vibrant and active to meet any eventuality.

All the Divisional Wardens were directed to review the functioning of Civil Defence set up in their respective divisions and ensure the active participation of the Civil Defence corps in each activity so that their services could be effectively utilized during any emergency. 

The Chief Warden ensured that they will review the Civil Defence set up and ensure effective activation of Civil Defence services in Srinagar. 

At last the Divisional Commandant asked the Wardens and volunteers to be in a state of preparedness for the service to the society for a noble cause, which is the prime role of the Civil Defence Organization.

http://www.kashmirtimes.in/newsdet.aspx?q=30286

For firemen, birds as important as humans

BANGALORE: As the scorching early-summer sun beat down, a worker with the department or fire and emergency services ran towards an apartment building on Jogupalaya main road in East Bangalore.

There was no smoke or fire, but the worker was on a rescue mission: A bird was stuck on a tree. Unknown to many, firemen have rescued over 150 trapped birds in the past three years. For them, it's all in a day's work.

In 2013, five rescue teams of the department of fire and emergency saved 52 trapped birds, while the number of humans saved was only 50.
According to fire officials, the control room is often flooded with calls, seeking help to rescue birds. "We don't differentiate between humans and animals. When we get a call, our teams are dispatched as on any other rescue mission," said KU Ramesh, chief fire officer, Bangalore East.

The teams on the ground say most of the cases are related to birds getting trapped in thick thread used to fly kites. "Birds get entangled in the thread and are stuck on tree-tops," said R Ramesh, fire station officer and in-charge of one of the rescue teams in the city.

MB Krishna, an ornithologist and birdwatcher, said many birds in the city have died of this. "We've seen many dead birds on tree-tops in Lalbagh. Once they are entangled, there's no way they can move around, and eventually die there. To know the fire department has saved 52 such birds comes as a relief," he said.

Krishna said the increasing number of phone calls asking for birds to be rescued is a sign of awareness and increasing activism among the people. "There are many online forums working towards creating awareness about saving birds in our city. This is a great step forward," he said.

Rescue stats

Year Birds Humans

2011 25 59


2012 44 42


2013 52 50

Source: Department of fire and emergency
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bangalore/For-firemen-birds-as-important-as-humans/articleshow/32565196.cms

Gayatri Parivar to give Rs 2 lakh to families of security personnel killed during rescue operations

Press Trust of India

Mar 22, 2014   Haridwar-based spiritual organisation Gayatri Parivar will provide Rs 2 lakh each as financial assistance to the next of kin of 20 military and para-military personnel killed during the massive relief and rescue operations carried out after the catastrophic floods that hit Uttarakhand in 2013.

Gayatri Parivar chief Pranav Pandya will hand over the cheques on Sunday to the family of the 20 IAF, ITBP and NDRF personnel killed while trying to save lives and rescuing people in Uttarakhand, a spokesman of the Gayatri Parivar said.

The cheques will be distributed among the beneficiaries at a function being organised at Bardoli village in Surat district of Gujarat jointly by the Gayatri Parivar and Think Tank Group, an organisation dedicated to social work, he said.

Before leaving for Gujarat to attend the function, Pandya said, "Magnitude of Uttarakhand tragedy which claimed thousands of lives shook the whole nation and it was a tribute by Gayatri Parivar to the valour of the IAF, ITBP and NDRF personnel who laid down their lives trying to rescue survivors of the calamity."

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/gayatri-parivar-to-give-rs-2-lakh-to-families-of-security-personnel-killed-during-rescue-operations/459615-3-243.html

New Kind of Violation

New buildings in Bangalore’s busiest areas are circumventing fire safety regulations by building
many floors under the ground.
Inquiring into a complaint against a building on Subedar Chatram Road in Gandhinagar,
Upalokayukta Justice Subhash B Adi found that many buildings avoid the mandatory fire services
department no-objection certificate by keeping just under the stipulated ‘high-rise’ height.
Taking serious note, Justice Adi has directed the BBMP commissioner to submit a report on
enforcement of building by-laws in ‘Belt One’ areas such as Chikpet, Gandhinagar, and Upparpet.
Under zonal regulations, a building with a height of 12 to 15 metres must have a setback of 5 metres
all around the building.
The setback is 6 metres for buildings higher than 15 metres and less than 18 metres. In the case of
the building at Subedar Chatram Road, the BBMP has permitted a height of 14 metres and 95 cm,
just 5 cm short of 15 metres.
“In reality, the height is just 2 inches less than 15 metres. The setback around the building in the
plan approved by the BBMP is just 2.5 metres. The plan has been approved for three basements
below the ground level, and seven floors in all,” Justice Adi said.
According to a master plan, Bangalore is divided into 47 planning districts and the central part is
called ‘Belt One’ and includes Akkipet, Chikpet, and Gandhinagar.
Gandhinagar is densely populated with a floating population of several lakhs. Over time, new
shopping complexes and high-rises have come up in violation of building laws.
“Even in this congested area, the BBMP has allowed transfer of development rights, compromising
the setback area,” Justice Adi has stated in his letter to the BBMP commissioner.
The Upalokayukta has directed the BBMP commissioner to submit a report in this regard by March
22.
“Going by by-laws framed by the BBMP, any building with ground plus four floors is treated as a
high-rise and must necessarily get an NOC from the fire services department. Even in case of
conflict between zonal regulations and building by-laws, rules for citizens’ safety should be
enforced,” Justice Adi said.

http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/bangalore/New-Kind-of-Violation/2014/03/20/article2118707.ece

F/C N0 :- 528/2014...DATE :- 22-03-2014... TIME :- 14:40 hrs.... ADDS :- Kadirena halli circle, Near shir ram bakery, banashankare, B'lore.....Type Of Fire :- building Fire....

Itinerary 20 & 21st March 2014

NDRF Press Note Dated 21/03/2014

Directorate General, NDRF  & CD
Ministry of Home Affairs,


NDRF Press Note


Dated 21/03/2014                                                                                                                                            Time 1400 hrs 
                   During the period from 15^th - 21^th March,  2014 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) deployed its 13 teams in various parts of country viz Assam, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Tripura and Uttarakhand for relief & rescue operations, emergency response, capacity building  and training programmes .    
                 On 19^th March, 2014 , one NDRF team conducted search operation at Maner, Patna  in connection with drowning of  01 person in river Ganga and retrieved the body. 


                    On 14^th March, 2014 a seven – storey residential building called Shankar Lok, at Vakola, Mumbai, Maharashtra collapsed. Two teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) stationed at Andheri Sports Complex comprising 65 personnel rushed to the incident site with  sniffer dogs. In a joint operation with BMC and Fire Brigade teams rescued 04 victims and retrieved 07 dead bodies from the debris.

KCD Annual Day 21 March 2014