Lahore: The Punjab government on Wednesday showcased modern equipment worth Rs500 million procured for Civil Defence Punjab and Rescue 1122 as part of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s “Safe Punjab” vision, aimed at strengthening emergency response and public safety across the province.
Provincial Minister and Chairman Cabinet Committee on Law and Order Khawaja Salman Rafique inspected a practical demonstration of the newly acquired equipment at the Civil Secretariat. Secretary Home Punjab Dr Ahmed Javed Qazi, Secretary Emergency Services Punjab Dr Rizwan Naseer and Director Civil Defence Tasneem Ali Khan were also present. During the event, officials briefed participants on the latest equipment, which includes airlift drones, bomb disposal robots, anti-drone guns, electric sirens, bomb disposal suits, bomb blankets, mine detectors, snake cameras, automatic loading stretchers, spine boards, chipping hammers, angular grinders, fire hoses, oxygen cylinders and fire extinguishers. The modern airlift drone is capable of lifting up to 200 kilograms and rescuing people from difficult locations.
A special meeting was also held with newly recruited members of the Civil Defence bomb disposal squad, while a memorandum of understanding was signed between Punjab Civil Defence and Rescue 1122. Under the agreement, Civil Defence handed over modern equipment worth Rs85.5 million to Rescue 1122 to further enhance its operational capacity.
Addressing the ceremony, Khawaja Salman Rafique said Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif had directed authorities to strengthen Civil Defence during the recent Pakistan-India tensions by enhancing its operational capabilities. He said Civil Defence and Rescue 1122 are vital institutions for the protection and welfare of citizens and have now been equipped with state-of-the-art equipment. He added that the bomb disposal squad was being strengthened through new recruitment and advanced technology. He also said the Chief Minister had increased the honorarium of Civil Defence volunteers in recognition of their services, adding that more than 350,000 citizens had so far registered as Civil Defence volunteers and were receiving basic life support training.
Secretary Home Punjab Dr Ahmed Javed Qazi said the provincial government was aligning the Civil Defence Resilience Corps with modern requirements, adding that Civil Defence plays a crucial role during both peace and wartime and serves as the frontline emergency response force for district administrations. He urged citizens to join Civil Defence as volunteers.
Secretary Emergency Services Punjab Dr Rizwan Naseer said Rescue 1122 had prevented losses worth Rs786 billion through timely emergency response and currently attends more than 7,000 emergencies every day. He thanked Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif and Provincial Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique for equipping Rescue 1122 with modern equipment and encouraged citizens to register as Civil Defence volunteers through the online portal VCD.HOME.GOP.PK. The ceremony was also attended by senior officials of the Home Department, Civil Defence, NRTC and other collaborating institutions.