Emergency Service put on alert for Muharram

LAHORE
Punjab Emergency Service (Rescue 1122), Director General, Brig (r) Dr. Arshad Zia has directed all the District Emergency Officers (DEOs) to ensure preparedness for Muharram in accordance with the directions issued by the Punjab Home Department.
He directed them to ensure implementation of Code Red on 9th & 10th of Muharram, and the leaves of the rescuers have also been restricted all over the Punjab. In this regard, the districts have been issued a checklist of preparedness and submission of emergency plans; hold meetings of district emergency boards with district administrations, meetings with key focal persons of Fiqa Jaferia/ Majalis, training of Imamia Scouts/ volunteers, and mapping of all licenced and traditional majalis and processions.
DG Rescue Dr Arshad Zia chaired a meeting at Rescue 1122 Headquarters; attended by the Deputy Director (HR) Dr Foaad Shahzad Mirza, Provincial Monitoring Officer, Dr Farhan Khalid, Deputy Director (P&D) Faheem Qureshi, DD (Finance) Naeem Mukhtar, Head of Operation, Punjab, Ayaz Aslam, District Emergency Officer, Lahore Dr Ahmed Raza, and all other Provincial Monitoring Cell (PMC) officers. The PMC briefed the director general that 7,000 emergency personnel shall remain on duty during Ashura. The districts have prepared emergency contingency plans in close coordination with district administrations and Imamia Scouts have been trained and close liaison has also been developed with focal persons. The PMC said that Disaster Response Force along with logistic assistance shall provide backup support to any district in case of untoward incident.
Dr Arshad Zia said that in case of emergency during any mass gathering, most of the injuries or deaths take place due to stampede as a result of panic; therefore, each District Emergency Officer should review emergency plan of any mass public gathering to ensure timely and safe evacuation and proper management of emergencies. He directed them to review site plan with special reference to available exits for any emergency, depending on the expected participation/turnout and to also check out adequacy of exits for emergency evacuation and verification that appropriate exits are available. He said that the District Emergency Officer shall be responsible to verify emergency arrangements prior to the start of the event.
According to the Lahore Emergency Plan, 27 Emergency Ambulances; 12 fire brigade vehicles, four Rescue vehicles, water rescue teams and rescuers on different mobile posts have been deployed to provide emergency cover to all mourning processions.
Moreover, additional rescue teams shall remain on stand-by position and could be called if needed in case of any untoward incident.
According to the plan, all mobile posts and ambulances with medical kits will be moving along with the processions to provide mourners with immediate medical treatment. Emergency Officers including trained doctors shall supervise the arrangements on both sensitive days.