LAHORE:A total of 65 rescue officers of Punjab Emergency Service (Rescue 1122) have completed specialised water rescue training conducted in collaboration with China’s Blue Sky Rescue Team to strengthen the province’s capacity to respond to floods and other water-related emergencies.
Provincial Minister for Health and Emergency Services Khawaja Salman Rafique was the chief guest at the closing ceremony, which was attended by Emergency Services Department Secretary Dr. Rizwan Naseer, rescue officers and Chinese water rescue trainers.
Addressing the ceremony, Khawaja Salman Rafique said the completion of the training programme marked not merely the conclusion of a course but also a further strengthening of the life-saving partnership between Pakistan and China. He congratulated the participating rescuers and volunteers and appreciated the Emergency Services Academy for organising the programme.
He said the specialized training was particularly important for Punjab, which faces serious challenges during monsoon rains and floods. Emergencies involving rivers, canals, low-lying areas and urban flooding required highly trained personnel, modern equipment and a coordinated response, he added.
The minister said the training provided by Chinese experts had equipped Pakistani rescuers with specialized skills in swift-water rescue, boat operations, safety protocols, rope techniques and coordinated team response, which would help save precious human lives.
He also commended the practical water rescue exercise conducted at Head Balloki in accordance with the standards of the United Nations’ International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG), saying it demonstrated the teams’ ability to apply modern rescue techniques in real-life emergency situations.
Khawaja Salman Rafique said Rescue 1122 had earned national and international recognition for its professional services, while the Pakistan Rescue Team, part of the Emergency Services Academy, was the first team in South Asia to receive certification from the UN’s INSARAG.
He thanked China’s Blue Sky Rescue Team for sharing its expertise and professional techniques with Pakistani rescuers, saying cooperation in disaster preparedness, emergency response and rescue training reflected the longstanding friendship between the two countries.
The minister said the Punjab government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, was strengthening emergency services through the provision of modern flood-response equipment, including rescue boats, airboats, jet skis, life jackets, water rescue drones and advanced communication systems.
He emphasized that equipment alone could not save lives, adding that the real strength of a rescue service lay in the professional skills, discipline, morale and teamwork of its personnel. He urged the rescuers to apply the techniques learned during the training with expertise, caution and a strong sense of responsibility.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Rizwan Naseer said four instructors from China’s Blue Sky Rescue Team had trained 65 rescue officers to prepare instructors, water rescue teams and rescue scouts for effective flood response. He added that practical exercises were also conducted at Head Balloki in line with UN INSARAG standards.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, Khawaja Salman Rafique congratulated the Rescue 1122 personnel on successfully completing the training and distributed certificates among them.