Cebu City Gov’t to Train Cops as Responders in Calamities

The Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CCDRRMO) will give city police personnel training on disaster response.

The move to train police personnel of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) is in response to a letter of CCPO Acting Chief Marciano Batiancela Jr. to CCDRRMC.

In his letter, Batiancela asked the CCDRRMC to help prepare the city’s police force in responding to calamities, now that the rainy season is here.

Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak said 14 police units, including 11 police stations of CCPO, will join the training.

“Each police station will have its own emergency responders. We in the disaster council are happy that there are initiatives like this because the police can help the city since they will be the first responders,” Tumulak, who presides over CCDRRMC, said.

The station commanders will determine the number of personnel to be sent to the training.

Personnel from CCDRRMO who already completed different disaster response trainings will teach and train the police.

Within the five-day training, the police are expected to learn the different aspects of disaster response, such as basic life support, basic water search and rescue operation, rescue operation on a collapsed building, traffic management and how the incident command system runs.

The training will start next week in an open space in the South Road Properties (SRP).

An audit on disaster preparedness by CCPO last May found out that CCPO is ill-equipped and unprepared to respond to calamities, like flooding.

CCPO lacks rubber boats, life jackets and trained personnel for rescue operations.

The CCPO only has so far only 60 trained police operatives for search-and-rescue operations.

Tumulak said the city can give CCPO disaster equipment after the training. (PNA) SCS/EB/SSC