Lahore: Home Secretary Dr Ahmed Javed Qazi said on Monday that the Punjab Civil Defence Resilience Corps (PCDRC) was being modernised with state-of-the-art technology and equipment under Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s ‘Safe Punjab’ vision to enhance emergency response capabilities and ensure public safety.
The secretary expressed these views during his visit to the Civil Defence Headquarters. where he inspected a display of modern equipment and inaugurated a renovated block.
A smartly turned-out Civil Defence contingent presented a guard of honour to the Home secretary. He inspected the latest equipment. including air-lift drones. IED bomb disposal drones. bomb disposal robots. anti-drone guns. electric sirens. bomb disposal suits. bomb blankets. mine detectors. snake cameras. hook-and-line kits. mobile bomb disposal bikes and firefighting equipment.
Civil Defence Directors Tasneem Ali Khan and Zigham Nawaz briefed the secretary about the functioning and capabilities of the Civil Defence Resilience Corps.
Speaking on the occasion. Dr Ahmed Qazi said the Civil Defence Resilience Corps was an important step towards building a safe. capable and responsible Punjab. He said modern equipment worth Rs500 million had been procured to bring the Civil Defence Department in line with contemporary requirements.
The secretary said the modern air-lift drones could rescue people trapped in difficult-to-reach areas and were capable of carrying loads of up to 200 kilograms.
He said the importance of Civil Defence remained equally significant during peace and war. adding that the department served as the frontline force of the district administration in every emergency situation.
Dr Ahmed said the Punjab government was taking measures to modernise Civil Defence according to contemporary needs. He added that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif had also increased the honorarium of Civil Defence volunteers in recognition of their services.
The secretary urged citizens to join Civil Defence as volunteers according to their skills and capabilities. He said more than 350. 000 citizens had so far registered as Civil Defence volunteers.
He added that all Civil Defence volunteers were being provided Basic Life Support (BLS) training to enable them to save human lives during natural disasters. accidents and medical emergencies.
Dr Ahmed Javed urged citizens to register as Civil Defence volunteers through the online portal VCD. HOME. GOP. PK and play their role in building a safer Punjab.
