CDRMMO: ‘We are more equipped now”

22 Sep CDRMMO: ‘We are more equipped now”

The Cagayan de Oro City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) which was established four years ago have upgraded their facilities and personnel to immediately respond to emergencies in the city and provide prompt assistance to Kagay-anons.

CDRRMO officer-in-charge, Allan Porcadilla affirmed, “We are more equipped now.”

The CDRRMO in 2012 was formed through an executive order by the former City Mayor Vicente “Dongkoy” Emano. The office back then only had 24 volunteer responders and one rescue vehicle which was donated by Mayor Constantino Jaraula during his term.

Responders that time said that they did not receive any compensation for their volunteer work. These responders were from the different offices of the City Government.

Porcadilla stated, “Employed mi ato pero sa lain nga department so ang among sweldo, as ease lang gihapon, wala pamimadawat kay volunteer lang gayud, out of goodness lang.”

The office now has four ambulances, six rescue vehicles, three emergency response vehicles, one pick-up truck, and a motorcycle at its disposal. The additional facilities were provided as City Mayor Oscar Moreno seated last 2013.

With these facilities, the team could now respond to distress calls, such as vehicular accidents, fire suppression, flood, mothers who are about to give birth, and even possible terror attacks, in approximately 5 minutes.

There are 3 prepared teams in CDRRMO with different functions: the Urban Search and Rescue (Usar) which is composed of 3 teams, with 15 persons for each team, the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) composed of 6 teams with 6 persons each team, and 13 personnel for the Network Operations Center (NOC) which dispatch emergency and disaster calls.

Official responders of CDRRMO undergo training on water search and rescue, “ropemanship”, swift water rescue, and first aid, among others. The office now has a total of 121 personnel.

Personnel is yet to be trained to respond to explosions including hazardous materials, Porcadilla said.

He said, “Kaya naman nato pero ang dili ra nato matubag gayud is ang hazardous materials, pananglitan kung naay mo-boto dinhi nga mga tanker or other hazardous materials, dili pa ni nato ma-respond tungod kay wala pa kitay training niini.”

He added, “We also have to be clear nga anha pa gyud ang among function is ang effect na sa panghitabo. For example, naay hostage-taking dili mi moapil sa pag-pacify sa hostage, naa mi didto aron pangandaman kung unsay mahitabo after, dili gayud mi mo-engage. If nahuman na, kami na dayon mukuha sa victims kung pwede na.”

“Even sa bombing, ang mahitabo i-secure una sa EOD ang place unya ayha na dayon mi musulod kung magdeclare na nga safe ug kuhaon na ang biktima, ingana na among participation,” he stated.

Incidents such as the white water incident last 2014 that caused the death of a tourist while enjoying the white water rafting in the Cagayan River, Porcadilla assured that they now have the capacity to respond to such incidents.

The CDRRMO has initiated an extrication and pick up points if ever such incident would happen again.

Satellite officer in villages of Lumbia and Tablon will be established, Porcadilla said but in the meantime, barangay officers are equipped and trained to response quickly in thier respective villages.

News Source: Sun.Star