Community rescue volunteers call for unified emergency response network in Kozhikode
Community rescue volunteers in Kozhikode are calling for a unified digital communication platform and a district-level coordination mechanism to improve disaster response. Current efforts are hampered by a lack of integrated planning and insufficient life-saving equipment.
Why it matters
Effective disaster response in ecologically fragile regions requires coordinated efforts between local volunteers and government agencies.
Despite repeated monsoon-related emergencies in the ecologically fragile upland regions of Kozhikode district, community rescue volunteers (CRVs), now part of local rescue operations under Fire and Rescue Services squads, say the absence of a district-level coordination mechanism and a common digital communication platform for them continues to hamper emergency response.
The CRV squad members reveal that proposals to create a publicly accessible online directory of active rescue workers and teams remain on paper despite being discussed on several occasions. According to them, the absence of an integrated digital platform makes it difficult for both the public and the authorities to quickly identify and mobilise volunteer teams during emergencies.
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