DLP Report
PESHAWAR
Adviser to the Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Information, Public Relations, Relief, Rehabilitation and Settlement Samar Haroon Bilour has called for greater recruitment of women, particularly from rural areas, in Rescue 1122 and directed the service to improve its emergency response.
During a visit to the Rescue 1122 headquarters in Peshawar, Director General Dr Khateer Ahmad briefed her on the organisation’s performance, ongoing projects, structure and challenges, said a handout.
Relevant officials and senior Rescue 1122 officers were also present.
Ms Bilour inspected various displays showcasing the service’s operational vehicles, modern machinery and rescue equipment. Rescue personnel also demonstrated emergency response operations, relief activities and the provision of immediate medical assistance.
The DG informed her that Rescue 1122 had received more than 130 million emergency calls since its establishment and responded to millions of incidents across the province.
According to the briefing, the service had handled over 1.559 million emergency cases and more than 350,000 referral cases, while providing medical assistance to over 1.995 million patients and injured people.
Officials said 90 of the 126 Rescue 1122 stations planned across the province were fully operational, while the remaining 36 were under construction or at different stages of completion.
The briefing also highlighted financial and administrative challenges, including fuel supplies, vehicle maintenance, uniforms for newly recruited personnel, station construction, land acquisition and other administrative matters.
Expansion of the service to the remaining tehsils, establishment of specialised centres in densely populated areas and provision of modern snorkel vehicles were also identified as key requirements.
Ms Bilour said equipping Rescue 1122 with modern technology, advanced equipment and necessary resources was essential. She assured officials that the organisation’s financial issues would be addressed on a priority basis, adding that allowances, funds and other staff-related matters were also among the government’s priorities.
She said all possible resources would be provided to enable the service to respond effectively to climate change, natural disasters and law and order challenges. Describing rescue personnel as heroes, she praised their professional skills, dedication and efforts to save human lives.
The adviser directed rescue teams to reach incident sites in the shortest possible time after receiving emergency calls and cautioned against negligence in the performance of their duties. Protecting lives and property and providing timely assistance to people in distress were the service’s primary responsibilities, she said.
Emphasising gender equality, Ms Bilour directed the authorities to give special priority to recruiting women, particularly those from rural areas, to ensure their effective representation and equal employment opportunities.
She also called for regular training programmes at public and private colleges and universities to teach students firefighting, first aid and basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), saying young people should be equipped with skills to protect their own lives and help others during emergencies.
