Datu Odin Sinsuat, MAGUINDANAO- Almost a
thousand individuals have participated in the successfully concluded
“Multi-Hazard Simulation Drill” on 17 August 2016 held at the vicinity of
Cotabato (Awang) Airport, this town.
Mujiv S. Hataman, ARMM Governor and Chairman
of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council-ARMM graces in
the event together with Executive Secretary Atty. Laisa M. Alamia and RDRRMO
Dir. Ramil Masukat.
Other agencies present during the drill
includes LGU Datu Odin Sinsuat, LGU Balabagan 603rd Bde, Department of
Transportation and Communication-ARMM, Camp Siongco National High School,
Department of Environment and Natural Resources-ARMM, and partner
non-government organizations, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Save the Children Foundation, UN-World Food
Programme, Foundation Suisse de Deminage (FSD), Non Violent Peace Force,
International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the Kadtabanga Foundation
for Peace and Development Advocates, Inc.
Participating responders include the ARMM
HEART, CAAP First Responder Group, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), PNP- Scene of
the Crime Operatives, Cotabato Regional and Medical Center (CRMC), Department
of Health-ARMM, PNP-Regional Health Service, Philippine Red Cross, Bangsamoro
Response Team (BARET), Bureau of Fire Protection- Emergency Medical Services,
Office of the Regional Governor Fire Station, Office of the Provincial Fire
Marshall- Maguindanao, Philippine Air Force- Tactical Operations Group XII,
Cotabato City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office/CERT, PNP- Regional
Public Safety Battalion, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
The Incident Commanders were Engr. Mila Platon
and Carmen Salik of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.
Engr. Amier Ashan Aplal, Operations Section
Chief of OCD-ARMM, said that at exactly 4:20pm, a 7.9 earthquake took place for
about 30-45 seconds where the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines
employees did the duck, cover and hold and evacuated to safe area. At 4:30pm
there was Aviation Mishap. By 4:40PM, he added, the firefighters and security
forces have arrived.
“There have been clearing operations by the
AFP, while PNP has set up Incident Perimeter, the BFP have had fire suppression
in the incident perimeter. We also set-up Incident Management Team (IMT) and
closely coordinated with the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines,” said
Aplal.
Aplal said that upon arrival of the
responders, they checked in at the Incident Command Post (ICP), where there was
Incident Briefing and Responder’s Assignment. For the Emergency Medical
Response, there were particular assignment and deployment of each team.
Myrna J. Angot, OIC of the Office of Civil
Defense-ARMM, has expressed her deepest gratitude to all actors who made the
event a very successful one.
“It is important to have a mindset that we
respond like we train our people. It is a given fact that without having been
exposed to a situation, our responders couldn’t keep going to know how to
properly respond into a situation. So it is only important to have such
mindset,” said Angot.
Accordingly, there were two (2) stages of the
drill, Earthquake and the Scenario.
Further, Aplal has also discussed the
Incident Command System Structure for the Multi-Hazard Drill.
The ICS is a standardized on-scene incident
management concept designed specifically to allow responders to adopt an
integrated organizational structure equal to the complexity and demands of any
single incident or multiple incidents without being hindered by jurisdictional
boundaries.
“Various clusters includes Coordination, Food
and Non-food Items, Protection, Camp Coordination and Management, HEALTH (WASH,
Health, Nutrition and Psychosocial Services), Logistics, Emergency
Telecommunications, Search Rescue and Retrieval, Management of the Dead and
Missing, and Security Cluster,” said Aplal.
Carmencita Salik, CAAP Officer, said that
during the drill, the incoming flight from Manila has landed and parked at
Awang Airport. There are at least 50 passengers on board including its pilot
and crew.
“In the event that passengers were about to
disembark from the aircraft, an earthquake with intensity 7.9 hit the area. All
the passengers have been adversely affected. Similarly, other facilities and
vulnerable points of the Airport have been damaged. At the aerodrome management
control center, several personnel were trapped. In addition, some of the out
bound passengers at the pre-departure got injured due to the fallen debris.
Right after, a fire incident occurred at the terminal building,” said Salik.
Salik added that responders from the airside
area include the Aerodrome Rescue and Fire Fight Services (ARFF), CSI-National,
PNP-Aviation Security Group, and the Camp Siongco Hospital for the ambulance
and immediate medical attention. For the Landside area, they had CSI-ARMM/ CSI
National, PNP- Aviation Security Group, OTS Terminal Building, Local PNP-ARMM,
Nearest BFP, Nearest Hospital, AFP and PAF.
Mila Platon, Designated Incident Commander,
said the team have immediately convened the Emergency Command Center or
Incident Command Center.
“The ARFF have responded quickly to the
aircraft with the CSI forces to augment the PNP-Aviation Group personnel in
cordoning the area. There was quick response from the 6th ID hospital personnel
to help the victims and other nearby hospital such as the Cotabato Regional and
Medical Center (CRMC),” said Platon.
Dr. Dimarin Dimatingkal, CRMC Chief Medical
Professional Staff II and Zone 5 HEMB, and one of the evaluators, said the
purpose of the drill is to simply protect the victims, save lives and prevent
potential dangers.
“This is something relevant and very
important. At least, we have evaluated the outcomes come real disaster, and we
figure out how to improve on what didn’t work as well as expected and conduct
additional exercises with new and improved procedures,” said Dimatingkal.
Dimatingkal has encouraged the application of
4Cs, Command and Control of the overall operation, Communication loop, and
Coordination among various responders.
Other evaluators of the drill were Dr. Ismael
Ammad and Sarip Emalie Ampatuan, RN.
Meanwhile, the ARMM Government thru Executive
Secretary Alamia has affirmed support on the quarterly conduct of Simulation
Exercise. (GILMHAR A. LAO -MINDANAO
EXPOSE’)
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