(Photos courtesy: Malabon Public Information Office)
MANILA, (PIA) -- The Philippine Red Cross (PRC), in partnership with the local government of Malabon, held a Mass Casualty Incident Training and Simulation Exercise over the weekend at the Tinajeros Elementary School in Malabon City.
The PRC, along with its 143 volunteers in Barangay Tinajeros, spearheaded the exercise that was participated by medical doctors, nurses, police, and firefighters from the Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine National Police, City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, City Public Information Office, and City Health Office.
The simulation exercise was based on a scenario involving a magnitude 6.8 earthquake, with an objective of enhancing the emergency response, capacity, coordination, and resilience of PRC, its 143 volunteers, and the local government unit in managing mass casualty incidents (MCIs).
Philippine Red Cross Chairperson and CEO Richard Gordon, PRC Secretary General Dr. Gwendolyn Pang, Malabon City Mayor Jeannie Sandoval, PRC Malabon chapter chairman Federico Ricky Sandoval, PRC Malabon board of directors, and LGU department heads attended the event.
Chairperson Gordon explained the importance of conducting simulation exercises. He stated: “Our country is ranked number one in disaster risk. While we cannot wish away hazards, we can focus on preparing for them. One way to prepare for a large-scale disaster, especially an earthquake, is through MCI simulation exercise.”
“Our main objective is to evaluate our emergency response system within a controlled setting. After this, we will modify our response plans as necessary,” he added.
PRC Sec. Gen. Pang, for her part, highlighted the significance of involving the PRC 143 volunteers in every barangay in a MCI simulation exercise, as they will be the first to report an MCI should it happen.
The PRC will conduct another MCI simulation exercise in Quezon City on 20 July, and is expected to be followed by other PRC chapters nationwide. (PIA-NCR)
