Flood Disaster Response at Tamil Nadu, S.India

REPORT TITLE: MOCK DRILL AND FIRST AID TRAINING FOR WOMEN VOLUNTEERS AT THOOTHUKUDI

PROJECT TITLE: FLOOD DISASTER RESPOSE AT TAMILNADU, S.INDIA

 Disaster and Risk Management Training was offered to some selected voluntary help minded women (Volunteers) at Chidambara Nagar and Thalamuthu Nagar Self Help Groups (SHG) at Chevalier Roche Society Auditorium, Thoothukudi District. During the Disaster times women need to help women effectively. So this training programme was arranged to provide training for women. By offered this training, women will have enough courage in their mind. During the occurrence of past time disasters, in many occasion when male recovery team members go for helping women, women did not accept their recovery work. Therefore during such situation many women had entangled in the disasters and they died. For example before a period of some years one Lakshmi cinema theatre got fired and the situation was very terrible. Being known this situation all men escaped from firing. During this fire accident many women burnt off in the fire. Their upper garments were fully burnt in fire. When those women came out from the theatre, some men went to help them. As those women were partly dressed, they were ashamed to accept the help of those men. Therefore they went back into the cinema theatre and they completely burnt off. During this fire accident more than 200 women were dead in Thoothukudi. If the women were ready to recover the women in the fire, they would have been protected. So disaster Recovery Training is necessary for women. That is through this programme women were trained in Disaster Recovery. Hence women themselves can recover women.

 MOCK DRILL TRAINING:

            This training was offered to the people for their benefits. During the time of Disaster People shall not wait until the Recovery team and Police Dep. Staff come over there to protect them. These trained people themselves can protect their people. During this Training it was taught in what manner Disaster affected people could be carried from one place to another by joining two persons hand and could make a chair like from and the disaster affected person could be carried in a safe manner to the hospital. One who severely injured and was unable to sit and fell on the ground can be carried by two persons by using Bed Sheet, thick Dhoty, Saree or any strong cloth with a stretcher like form. Such Mock Drill Training was offered to the participants of the programme. How to protect a person who meets any fire accident and recover him from the fire was also demonstrated practically. Head hair shall be covered by thick cloth. We shall not touch directly the person who is in fire accident. We must cover his body completely thick cloth or gunny bag or bed sheet and gently press upon all over the body to quench fire. In this manner spreading of fire further will be avoided. With the practical demonstration and explanation training was offered in this regard. Also the trainings were offered for carrying a person from a low lying area to high places such as upstairs etc., bringing a person from upstairs to the ground floor, carrying the disaster affected person upon shoulder, with the help of a rope bringing down the disaster affected persons. By these ways people would be ready to protect and recover the disaster affected persons in the future before the recovery Team and Police Dept. officials arrive at the spot. The local people themselves will involve in the works to carry the affected persons easily to the hospital.

FIRST AID TRAINING:

            During the Disaster and risk times victims are generally affected by much hemorrhage, Hand and leg bone fracture, Breathing Trouble occurred. If it continues for a long time the victims may meet death. In order to avoid these fatal problems First Aid Training was offered to the volunteers in this area. In order to provide the Advanced Training, this training was offered at the Chevalier Roche Society Training Paramedical Laboratory. According to that an unconscious person shall be helped with the artificial respiration and following that his chest portion shall be pressed gently and it will help the lungs and heart to work normally. So the person will come to the normal condition very fast. When a person is found with bone fracture either at his hand or leg and he is unable to walk with the help of cloths and sticks we can make a bandage surrounding his hand or leg tightly. So that it would be helpful for the victims to be relieved from the pain to some extent. Then he can be taken easily to the hospital. In the case of much bleeding from an injury for a victim we must hold that area tightly and keep a cloth upon that body part and make a tight bandage. In this manner excess bleeding can be avoided. Likewise so many trainings were offered to the participants. These trainings were provided to develop the local people as the volunteers to do the First Aid Helps and the victims of the disaster can be taken to the hospital easily.