Mock drill in Ahmedabad for disaster management

Ahmedabad, Feb 11 (UNI) A two-day mock drill, to test the preparedness of the police and other agencies in dealing with disaster situations, concluded at the police stadium at Shahibaug here today.

The event was inaugurated by state Governor Nawal Kishore Sharma yesterday. Some foreign agencies, too, had joined the drill in an advisory role. Flyingdoc Inc USA and UNDP India joined the Gujarat State Disaster Management Agency (GSDMA) and Indian Red Cross Society (ICRS) today.

Health Commissioner Amarjit Singh, GSDMA chief R C Meena, and Inspector General of Police Kumaraswamy were also present to witness the drill.

The mock drill control and command was in the hands of Jim Crabtree, assisted by his wife Rita Crabtree, and Dr Mustaq Qureshi from Valsad.

The drill was aimed at testing the preparedness of the police and others like the fire brigade, the paramedics and doctors in dealing with situations arising out of serial blasts in the city.

For the first time in Gujarat, a special suit ''plastic spinal suit'' was demonstrated as part of the personal protection equipment. According to Crabtree, this suit can be worn for not more than 20 minutes as it becomes very hot. It offers protection against chemicals and noxious gases.

Jim Crabtree told the participants that at times of real disasters, it would be worthwhile to bring critically injured persons to the hospitals first rather than dead bodies. ''First bring the critically injured, then those who have suffered minor injuries, and the dead bodies last.'' UNI