The 152 National Cadet Corps’ (NCC) volunteers, including 80 girl cadets, received training as first responders for disaster management in Arunachal.
The volunteers recently completed the combined annual training camp-cum-yuva aapda mitra programme at Dera Natung Government College.
The camp was organised by the 1st Arunachal Pradesh Battalion of the NCC, with major emphasis on disaster preparedness and response, and conducted by the Arunachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority. The core focus of the camp was disaster management and response systems. Through intensive theoretical and practical sessions, cadets were trained in disaster preparedness, basic search and rescue techniques, first aid, casualty evacuation, and coordination with civil authorities.
Special attention was given to managing region-specific disasters such as earthquakes, floods, landslides, and cloudbursts.
With the state being disaster-prone and having very limited preparedness for large-scale devastation, such training will go a long way in addressing actual emergency situations. Basic training in disaster management, including fire safety and first aid, should be made mandatory in schools, starting from the upper primary level, as well as in other institutions.