The Cordillera Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CRDRRMC) is set to conduct a three-day Basic and Intermediate Incident Command System Training Course (ICS-BIC) on February 22 to 24 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone.
 
According to CRDRRMC chairperson and Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Regional Director Olivia Luces, the ICS-BIC activity is in line with OCD’s mandate to provide leadership in the continuous development of strategic and systematic approaches as well as measures to reduce the vulnerabilities and risk to hazards and manage the consequence of disasters.
 
Luces said that the ICS-BIS is intended for the council’s Technical Working Group (TWG) from the different Council member agencies and aims to provide an in-depth understanding and appreciation of the ICS during times of disaster and on how the government should responsibly and efficiently manage disaster response.
 
“This ICS-BIS is part of a series of training being conducted by the OCD nationwide, in partnership with USAID, US Fire Service and ASEAN”, Luces said.
 
“We have already done this at the national level and in line, with National DRRM Council’s thrust of establishing regional cooperation during time of disaster or calamity, we are now establishing an Incident Management Team at the regional level, which later on will also be replicated at the provincial level,” Luces added.
 
She also bared that trainers for the said ICS-BIS will come from the National Incident Management Team and lectures/training modules will include: Principles and Features of an ICS; ICS Organization and Staffing; Incident Facilities; Organizing and Managing Incidents and Events; Delegation of Authority and Management by Objectives; Incident Resources and Resource Management and Simulation Exercises; Incident and Event Planning; and Transfer of Command, Demobilization and Closeout; as well as several ICS related briefings.
 
Meantime, with the unpredictable weather in the region, which according to Luces is due to wind convergence and the presence of a Low Pressure Area somewhere in Palawan, she advised the public especially those in mountainous and land slide prone areas to be vigilant of any possible imminent threat and practice pre-emptive evacuation if the need arises. (JDP/LD-PIA CAR)