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February 2003
LAO
PDR
Training for
Community Volunteer Group
In order to build capacity in fire mitigation at the grass-root level, the Lao Urban Disaster Mitigation Project (LUDMP) of ADPC in collaboration with the Fire Brigade of Lao PDR organized a training program during 15-16 February 2003 for 160 community volunteers representing eight communities from four targeted districts in Vientiane.
The training program was the first community-based fire prevention activity undertaken by the Lao Fire Brigade. Knowledge of fire prevention, fire fighting and rescue was imparted to the volunteers through presentations, exercise and simulation so as to equip them with sufficient knowledge in face of fire.
The training program proved a success as at the end of the training, fire volunteer groups were set up in each community to safeguard lives and property of community members in the event of fires. Among 20 members of each group, the work was divided into three teams—fire protection, fire rescue and fire fighting—in order to enhance effectiveness of the community fire coping mechanism in case of fire emergency. Besides fire response, the volunteer groups will also encourage people in communities to take pre-active, pre-cautious actions during normal circumstances as a means to mitigate fire disasters.
Training for the Lao Fire Brigade Officials
ADPC in collaboration with the Thai Fire Brigade, the Melbourne Fire Brigade and the Thailand-based Fire and Rescue Association will organize a Training of Trainers course on Fire Fighting and Rescue for Lao Fire Brigade officers during 24 March and 4 April 2003 in Bangkok, Thailand. The objectives of the training are; 1) to build a team of trainers in fire fighting and rescue within the Lao Fire Brigade; 2) to strengthen in-house capacity building mechanism of the Lao Fire Brigade; and 3) to improve the emergency response to fire in Vientiane and other cities in Lao. Ten participants from the Lao Fire Brigade are expected to attend the course.
The two-week course will include lectures, simulation exercises and study visits to the Airport Authority and an oil company to learn about their fire preparedness and response plans. Sessions on community education will also be included.
The training course is one of the activities of the LUDMP, which started in July 2002 and will complete in August 2003. To date, the project has made a number of accomplishments, for example, production of a Vientiane Fire Risk Map, organization of a community fire risk mapping and risk reduction planning in Ban Hatsdy, the pilot community and training of town planners and municipal officials on urban disaster mitigation.
For more information on LUDMP, please visit www.adpc.net/audmp/Lao.html
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