Community Rescue Volunteer and Amateur Radio Communities in Kerala

Community Rescue Volunteer and Ham Radio Communities in Kerala Community is invariably the first responder to any disaster situation, adequate awareness and preparedness of the community to respond to any such situation can be crucial in mitigating damage and suffering. CRV, being a community based voluntary organizations, can in addition to rescue, relief and rehabilitation, play a stellar role in the field of public awareness as well as community capacity building to face any disaster.

ACTIVEHAMS AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY AARS-KL A Social Responsive Scientific Research Society.

Govt Reg No : KLM/TC/196/2018

Email Web

qso@aars.in www.aars.in https://groups.io/g/aars

Sub : Community Rescue Volunteer and Ham Radio Communities in Kerala.

AARL-KL President : Rajasekharan Nair (VU2RJR +91 99958 28660) | Secretory : Nishath AK (VU3MOE - +91 70124 14506) | Vice President : Biju GT (VU2HBI - +91 944745 1144)

We AARS-KL has an updated database of 300 plus active radio amateur operators (HAM Radio Operator) across Kerala, We are mainlining a district wise list of “active hams�. These peoples are ready to spend their time and use wireless communication equipment during an emergency. Most of them are well trained to handle an emergency situation. AARS-KL technology and research teams are preparing a GPS and Smart phone based application to find the real time location of a Ham Radio operator. This proposed application is able to communicate with the user by providing alerts during an emergency. We would like to invite the attention of the State Government authorities to form a Community Rescue Volunteer group or similar concept by including Ham Radio Operators.

Background The Community Rescue Volunteer policy of the Government of India, till the declaration of Emergency in 1962, remained confined to making States and UTs conscious of the need for civil protection measures and asking them to keep ready civil protection plans for major cities and towns under the Emergency Relief Organization [ERO] scheme. However, following the Chinese aggression in 1962 and the Indo Pak conflict of 1965, the policy and scope of Community Rescue Volunteer underwent considerable rethinking, which culminated in the enactment of the Community Rescue Volunteer (CD) Act 1968. After this the organization has functioned under the parameters delineated in the Act. Importance of Community Rescue Volunteers (CRV) While global geo-political factors have reduced chances of traditional wars, new challenges have emerged for the community in the shape of natural calamities or human-induced disasters, resulting in large scale destruction of property, loss of human life and destabilization of normal life in society. Since the community is invariably the first responder to any disaster situation, adequate awareness and preparedness of the community to respond to any such situation can be crucial in mitigating damage and suffering. CRV, being a community based voluntary organizations, can in addition to rescue, relief and rehabilitation, play a stellar role in the field of public awareness as well as community capacity building to face any disaster.

Community Rescue Volunteer Revamp NDMA was given the responsibility of preparing a National Policy Approach Paper related to revamping Community Rescue Volunteer in the country . This document has been approved by Government of India and is now being implemented. Major recommendations of the policy paper are: 1.

Amendment of Community Rescue Volunteer Act-1960, to involve Community Rescue Volunteer (CD) in Disaster Management

2.

CD to be changed from town specific to district specific

3.

Training infrastructure to be upgraded in all states

4.

Involvement of Youth Organizations with Community Rescue Volunteer

5.

Involvement of Corporate/ Community Rescue Volunteer revamping

Private

Sectors

for

6.

Recognition of Community Rescue Volunteer Wardens

7.

Renewal of Community Rescue Volunteer services

8.

Capacity Building at the grass root level

9.

Empowerment of Director General Community Rescue Volunteer

10.

Training abroad

11.

Distinctive identity of Community Rescue Volunteer

12.

Motivation of Community Rescue Volunteer Volunteers

Progress on above recommendations: Community Rescue Volunteer Act 1968 has been amended involving Community Rescue Volunteer in Disaster Management accordingly, extract is reproduced below: Community Rescue Volunteer ” includes any measures, not amounting to actual combat, for affording protection to any person, property, place or thing in India or any part of the territory there of against any hostile attack, whether from air, land, sea or other places, or for depriving any such attack of the whole or part of its effect, whether such measures are taken before, during, at or after the time of such attack, or any measure taken for the purpose of disaster management, before, during, at, or after any disaster.

As per DM Act 2005, it is mandatory for NDMA to ensure Community Rescue Volunteer Preparedness for disaster Management. In the light of Section 10(p) of DM Act 2005, i.e. to promote general education & awareness related to disaster management, suggested roles of Community Rescue Volunteer in various phases of disaster are enumerated below for information and necessary action.

Pre-disaster a) Educating the Community 

Taking a lead role in spreading public awareness about the various kinds of disasters and possible community responses to them.



Educating/training the people at grass-roots level in vulnerable areas as a part of community capacity building to respond to any disaster situation.



Liaising with print and electronic media for regular publicity of Community Rescue Volunteer activities, including utilization of local TV channels to conduct discussion, debated, etc., on Community Rescue Volunteer .



Holding regular mock drills, exercises and rehearsal of Community Rescue Volunteer activities, to generate public interest.



Preparing publicity material, literature and brochures about Community Rescue Volunteer and distributing these in events related to Community Rescue Volunteer .



Organizing public functions to honour persons who have contributed to the Community Rescue Volunteer cause by participating in its activities.

b) Community Rescue Volunteer Awareness in Schools 

Taking guest demonstrations, showing films, visits establishments, etc.

lecturers in to Community

schools, holding Rescue Volunteer



Holding camps for students to provide them basic training in skills for Community Rescue Volunteer /Disaster Management.

c) Sensitizing Government Servants 

Holding seminars and workshops in government departments to sensitize government servants at various levels about Community Rescue Volunteer functions and their role in a disaster scenario.



Identifying suitable personnel in local government offices, in consultation with the Head of Office, and sponsoring them for various courses in Community Rescue Volunteer .



Maintaining a record of ‘trained government servants’ and keeping in regular communication with them to ensure their constant association with Community Rescue Volunteer activities.



Developing resource personnel particularly in those government departments which would not be directly involved in any Disaster Management effort, since officials of police, health, supplies, revenue, etc., may not be available to Community Rescue Volunteer in the event of a disaster.

d) During Disasters The Community Rescue Volunteer organization should enhance its capacity to act as first responder to any disaster situation with the help of its volunteers at different levels. It should have its own ‘Quick Reaction Teams’(QRT) of volunteers with predesignated roles and responsibilities, based on vulnerability and quick mobility to respond to any disaster situation. The QRT should also have its communication network to keep in touch with the Community Rescue Volunteer control room on realtime basis for reporting about its actions and getting instructions from the control room.

After initially responding to the disaster with its own and locally available resources of police, etc., the Community Rescue Volunteer may integrate itself with the Disaster Management efforts launched under the aegis of the state/DDMA. It may deploy its personnel, volunteers and other material resources such as communication equipment, Disaster Management vehicles, etc., in consultation and coordination with other agencies. In particular, the Community Rescue Volunteer organization can supplement the government efforts during and after a disaster, in the following areas:



Assisting in taking precautionary measures whenever any advance warning is received about any Natural disaster.



Setting up secondary communication network with appropriate wireless-telegraph apparatus, make use of smart technology for communication.



Helping in evacuation of population to less vulnerable areas depending on the nature of disaster.

Launching search and rescue operations.



Providing first aid to injure and transporting them to

 medical centers. 

Setting up ‘Information and Guidance Centers’ for providing information regarding missing persons,



injured, etc., and also information about the nature of facilities and assistance available to affected people



Participating in distribution of relief material to affected people.



Assisting police/traffic police movement of emergency vehicles in the affected areas.

in

ensuring

smooth



Helping the local administration in assessing the extent of loss to life and property.



Disaster Awareness Training is conducted involving Community Rescue Volunteer , NCC & NYKS in Districts/States

Active Hams are the first and well trained Community Rescue Volunteer by Kerala Fire & Rescue Department with Exceptional Radio Communication Skills and in the Innovative Field of Electronics.