Rescue 1122 shall mark 2015 as Year of Safety :Dr Rizwan Naseer

Lahore: DG Rescue Punjab Dr. Rizwan Naseer while presiding over a meeting of rescue officers at Rescue 1122 Headquarters on Thursday reviewed performance of Punjab Emergency Service (Rescue 1122) during 2014 and announced that Rescue 1122 shall mark 2015 as Year of Safety. In this regard, several programs for prevention of emergencies shall be launched including School Safety Program and establishment of Community Emergency Response Teams in all Towns and Tehsils of Punjab in 2015. Furthermore these teams shall be trained for Disaster Response and Community Based Risk Reduction for prevention of emergencies. The meeting was attended by all heads of wings.

Earlier, Dr. Rizwan Naseer reviewed the performance of Rescue 1122 during 2014, which showed that the Service rescued 727619 emergency victims during 571240 rescue operations, while maintaining its average response time of 7 minutes and standard in all Districts of Punjab. The Provincial Monitoring Cell (PMC) briefed DG Rescue Punjab that 201120 road traffic accidents took place across the Punjab in 2014 whereas 182972 RTAs were reported in 2013 with increase of 10 percent. Similarly, 11138 fire incidents were reported in all 36 Districts of Punjab in 2014 whereas some 10878 cases of fires were reported in 2013 with increase of 260 cases.

Rescue 1122 managed 274134 medical emergencies in 2014, whereas the Service responded to 251098 medical cases in 2013 with increase of 09 percent. Also, the Punjab Emergency Service responded to 24703 calls related to crime in 2014, as compared to 22878 in 2013 with increase of 08 percent. Total 172 explosions were reported in 2014 in Punjab as compared to only 93 cases during 2013 with increase of 85 percent. Rescue 1122 also responded to 1267 cases of drowning, 832 building collapses and 57874 miscellaneous incidents. The Provincial Monitoring Cell further briefed that Road Traffic Accidents were increased 19 percent in Gujranwala; 7 percent in Multan, 8 percent in Faisalabad and 3.5 percent in Rawalpindi, however, RTAs were slightly decreased in Lahore. The PMC further stated that 20 percent medical emergencies were increased in Rawalpindi; 17 percent in Faisalabad and 12 percent in Gujranwala, whereas this nature of emergency was decreased 9 percent in Lahore. Similarly, 11 percent fire emergencies were increased in Rawalpindi, 7.7 percent in Gujranwala and a minor increase was reported in Lahore.

DG Rescue Punjab Dr. Rizwan Naseer said that during the last 10 years, Rescue 1122 has emerged as a successful model of emergency services delivery. He said that Rescue 1122 is working closely with the communities to enhance disaster response capacity, risk reduction and prevention of emergencies, for the establishment of safer communities in all Districts of Punjab. Dr. Rizwan Naseer further said that Rescue 1122 has ensured provision of basic right to timely emergency care without discrimination of caste; color or creed and now the Service shall undertake evidence based research on the number & nature of emergencies, to recommend measures for prevention of emergencies. He further stated that 90 percent working of emergency services in developed countries is to focus on fire prevention; therefore, Rescue 1122 shall observe 2015 as Year of Safety and shall focus on community safety.