Community rescue volunteers call for unified emergency response network in Kozhikode
Despite repeated monsoon-related emergencies in the ecologically fragile upland regions of Kozhikode district, community rescue volunteers (CRVs), now part of local rescue operations under Fire
Despite repeated monsoon-related emergencies in the ecologically fragile upland regions of Kozhikode district, community rescue volunteers (CRVs), now part of local rescue operations under Fire and Rescue Services squads, say the absence of a district-level coordination mechanism and a common digital communication platform for them continues to hamper emergency response. The CRV squad members reveal that proposals to create a publicly accessible online directory of active rescue workers and teams remain on paper despite being discussed on several occasions. According to them, the absence of an integrated digital platform makes it difficult for both the public and the authorities to quickly identify and mobilise volunteer teams during emergencies. CRV teams functioning in landslip and flood-prone areas complain that they are often alerted only after disasters strike, leaving little scope for advance planning or coordinated deployment.
They also maintain that there is no district-level mechanism to bring together volunteers for pre-monsoon preparedness exercises or coordinated response planning. “Coordination is largely confined to interventions by village offices or grama panchayat authorities, with no comprehensive district-wide framework for mobilising and managing community rescue squads,” says a young volunteer from Mukkom. He suggests that a designated district-level coordinator serve as the nodal point for community rescue volunteers alongside the existing disaster management machinery. Trainers with some rescue groups in Kodenchery and Koodaranhi grama panchayats say several village-level teams continue to depend on equipment donated by private sponsors for carrying out rescue operations. Several squads, they add, lack even basic life-saving equipment required for responding to floods, landslips, and other rain-related emergencies.
Volunteers who work independently without the support of any groups say they have limited access to professional guidance, advanced training, and institutional recognition for their unpaid service. They add that regular joint training programmes, mock drills, and technical support from agencies such as the Fire and Rescue Services department will significantly improve their operational preparedness. Similar concerns are raised over the functioning of the district-level Yuva Aapda Mitra squad. Local administrators familiar with the programme say the 250-member team, trained under the Union government’s disaster management initiative through a week-long certification course supervised by the Disaster Management Authority, also awaits a proper integration with the local CRV network. Fire and Rescue Services department sources say there are many proposals, including the integration of various regional directories of CRVs into a unified online platform, to facilitate faster mobilisation during emergencies, hanging in the balance.
The BriefWire