The city has got its first trained batch of Student Response Force (SRF) under the control of the Fire and Rescue Services Department to swing into action during emergency situations. The 85-member team, all students of the Government College of Nursing, steps into the new turf after a year-long rigorous training under experts in disaster management.
Around 80 students, who successfully completed the training, recently received their badges and identity cards from District Collector N. Prasanth. The squad members will be allowed to participate in all field-level rescue operations during the time of natural calamities and accidents.
Officials from the Fire and Rescue Services Department said it was the first time in the State that such a well-trained group of students was formed under the SRF tag. “They have completed all advanced trainings in fire-fighting, rope rescue and the use of life-saving equipment,” the officials said.
The department hopes that the enrolment of nursing students as the first battalion of SRF will definitely set a trend as they will be capable of combining their medical knowledge with the newly acquired skills in field-level rescue operations. Arrangements are also in place to form more units of SRF with the participation of trained students in colleges and higher secondary schools.
