The Fire department on Thursday organised an orientation programme of Civil Defence unit. District Collector Niranjan Nayak, Deputy Controller of the unit Satyabrata Padhi, Senior Inspector Niranjan Nayak and Assistance Fire Officer Sarat Chandra Mallick were present.
Padhi addressing the meeting stated, “Civil defence signifies the performance of humanitarian tasks intended to protect the civil population against the dangers and help them during natural disaster, besides providing them the conditions for survival.”
The basic objective of the Civil Defence unit is to save life by conducting rescue measures, minimizing damage to property, maintaining continuity of production and boosting the morale of the people during natural disaster, fire mishap and also in war period, Padhi informed.
The Civil Defence was earlier started in the five districts and fivemore districts have been added this year, including Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrak, Baleswar and Dhenkanal. At the district level, the Civil Defence unit is being implemented by the District Magistrate as controller, stated senior instructor Nayak.
Civil defence training is also imparted to the members of NCC, Scout and Guides, Red Cross, NSS, school and college students in a massive number since they are treated as auxiliary manpower. To be a part of the Civil Defence, the minimum eligibility for joining as a volunteer is 15 years and the person should be fit both mentally and physically, stated District Collector Nayak. As many as 225 volunteers are going to be enrolled and later a batch consisting of 75 volunteers will get training phase wise in Kendrapada unit, said assistant fire officer Mallick.