PESHAWAR
Full Scale Fire Emergency Exercise Tests conducted at Bacha Khan International Airport under the auspices of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to train the staff and test fire vehicles and other equipments.
Caretaker Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Finance, Excise and Revenue Ahmad Rasool Bangash was Chief guest, Chief Operating Officer Zia Ahmad welcomed while Deputy Manager Airport Muhammad Tariq briefed the participants on this occasion.
All departments concerned including Pakistan Army Aviation, Pakistan Air Force, Rescue-1122 and ambulances of hospitals including Edhi, Fauji Faoundation, Alkhidmat, Civil Defence participated in the drill to test the level of preparedness for an emergency and to tackle untowards situation in the airport.
The exercise, held at different places brought together firefighters, emergency medical technicians (EMTs), and local authorities to simulate a real-life fire emergency situation.
Rescue-1122 promptly responded to call and reached the emergency site. Ambulances successfully and quickly shifted the injured and provided them first aid. Fire extinguishers also extinguished the fire.
The exercise aimed to evaluate the coordination and response capabilities of the participating agencies while adhering to safety protocols and minimizing actual risks.
The exercise began with a distress call reporting a major structural fire, initiating a rapid response from the first responders.
Firefighters deployed hoses, ladder trucks, and rescue teams to the scene, working in close coordination with EMTs to provide immediate medical assistance to simulated victims.
This exercise allowed these professionals to practice communication, evacuation procedures, and fire containment tactics under controlled conditions.
The mock scenario was designed to push the responders to their limits, testing their ability to adapt to challenging and evolving circumstances.
Throughout the exercise, evaluators closely monitored the participants’ responses, noting areas of success and opportunities for improvement.
After the exercise concluded, a debriefing session was held to discuss the strengths and weaknesses observed, encouraging a collaborative approach to enhance emergency response protocols.
Minister Ahmad Rasool Bangash emphasized the importance of such exercises, stating, “Conducting full-scale emergency exercises like this is crucial to ensure our first responders are well-prepared to handle any situation that may arise. We learn from each exercise, and it helps us identify areas where we can improve our response tactics and communication.”
He said that these exercises are vital in maintaining the readiness of first responders and enhancing the safety of the community.
Local authorities and emergency service agencies will use the feedback gathered during this full-scale fire emergency exercise to refine their response strategies, ultimately making the city better prepared to handle real fire emergencies in the future, he added. Shields were distributed among the participants at the end of the event.
