'Forest Dept personnel must be well trained'

The personnel of the Forest Department are posted in remote and very inaccessible areas. Considering this, it is important for them to be trained as first responders so that they can help save their own and others’ lives in emergency situations. State Forest Minister Dinesh Aggarwal said this while speaking at a first responder training workshop for Forest Department staff held at GVK-EMRI 108 emergency service in Dehradun on Friday.

Speaking on the occasion, the State principal chief conservator of forests Dr Srikant Chandola said that the considering the need for first responder training, the Forest Department had decided to provide this training to all its personnel in the State. The first stage of this training had been inaugurated in Dehradun on Friday while after this about 1000 department personnel, villagers and village helpers in the Garhwal circle will be trained during August. In the first stage of the training programme facilitated by the State Forest Department, Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), a total of 36 department personnel underwent first responder training in Dehradun, he added.

Addressing the gathering on the occasion, the 108 emergency service State head Manish Tinku said that positive results will be achieved from the proactive initiative taken by the forest department in the interests of its employees. He also thanked the forest department stating that the department had made an important contribution for making the 108 emergency service a success in Uttarakhand. Speaking about the training he said that this is divided into three main parts which are based on trauma, medical and environmental emergencies. He further informed that as per the memorandum of understanding signed between the Forest Department and 108 emergency service, one forest department employee is posted 24x7 at the emergency service call centre and informs the department official concerned about any call received regarding forest or wildlife related emergency. Since January 2010 till July 31, 2015 assistance has been provided in more than 3,500 emergency cases related to forests and wildlife, he added.