ACS presides over online IRS training on Chemical Disasters
Shimla: Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) R.D. Dhiman here today presided over the meeting for online Incident Response System (IRS) Training and Table Top Exercise on Chemical (Industrial) Disasters, involving all the 12 districts to discuss the roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders including districts, departments, Armed forces, Paramilitary forces etc.
ACS Revenue said that the aim of the training is to sensitize the Officers and Officials about the role of IRS and responsibilities of the Incident Response Team during disaster. He said that the main objective of the training is to establish well coordinating response system at State and District level to deal with emergency situations.
R.D. Dhiman said that the Incident Response System (IRS) is an effective mechanism for reducing the scope for ad-hoc measures in response. It incorporates all the tasks that may be performed during Disaster Management irrespective of their level of complexity. Organization functions through Incident Response Teams (IRTs) in the field, in line with their administrative structure and DM Act 2005.
He said that the IRTs are pre-designated at all levels; State, District, Sub-Division and Tehsil/Block. On receipt of early warning, the Responsible Officer (RO) will activate them. In case a disaster occurs without any warning, the local IRT will respond and contact RO for further support, if required and set coordination between the District, State and National level in activating effective response.
ACS Revenue directed the authority to conduct mock drills and said that the mock exercise is the best way to tests the adequacy and efficacy of a Unified response plans of the State and Districts against disasters and to find gaps in the resources, manpower, equipment, communication and systems. He said that the mock exercise gives the opportunity to re-examine the existing roles and responsibilities of the stakeholder departments which can be altered accordingly to enhance coordination and synergize efforts of various emergency support functions (ESFs) of the State and the districts.
He expressed hope that the active participation of all the Stakeholders in the IRS Training, would help in accomplishing its desired objectives and would generate constructive and practical inputs in enhancing the collective response to disasters in the Himachal Pradesh.
Advisor NDMA Brig. Ajay Gangwar, Member NDMA Lt. Gen Syed Ata Hasnain, Senior Consultant NDMA Maj Gen (Retd) V.K. Naik, Director-cum-Special Secretary (Revenue DM) D.C. Rana, All the Incident Response Team members, Deputy Commissioners, Head of Departments, Representatives of various Stakeholder agencies were also present on the occasion.