Civil protection is a national effort – CPD Head

Speaking during an accident simulation held near Rinella as part of the Malta-wide NOVEX 2012 earthquake training exercises, Civil Protection Department Head Patrick Murgo emphasised that civil protection is not the sole remit of official entities and agencies like the CPF, the Police, or the Armed Forces, but should be seen as a community-based effort.

Murgo said that real-life disaster situations, such as the very-recent Hurricane Sandy that rocked the US East Coast, members of the community are often the first to lend assistance to people in need.

"Civil Protection should be seen and understood as a national effort, and not strictly the work of an agency," Murgo said, recalling also that during the September floods, a number of people were helped by their neighbours.

"This is the mentality that we should have," the CPD Head insisted, emphasising that should the disaster exercises succeed in raising awareness in this regard, "it would be a big achievement."

Murgo was speaking during a road-side accident simulation which involved an overturned bus and two crumpled vehicles, which form part of the NOVEX 2012 disaster simulation and training exercises organised by the Civil Protection Department.

Approximately 300 rescue personnel are involved in the disaster simulation, the majority of which are volunteers. They are being assisted by between 30 to 40 other volunteers, who are playing the part of stricken casualties.

The event was also attended by Parliamentary Assistant in the Ministry of Home Affairs Beppe Fenech Adami, who praised the work being done by all the officers and volunteers involved.

As rescue personnel swarmed around the crumpled vehicles, filled with moaning volunteers 'casualties', Beppe Fenech Adami says that despite the widespread belief that Malta is insulated or protected against natural disasters, the danger of earthquakes is still a tangible one.

"The reality is that we need to be prepared," Fenech Adami said, emphasising the need for such disaster simulation exercises to ensure that local civil protection resources are able to handle them.

A Bell UH-1N Twin Huey Helicopter belonging to the Armed Forces also made a brief appearance to evacuate casualties strapped to stretchers, kicking up a cloud of dust and debris that enveloped the rescue workers.

The disasters simulations started at 4am, when the CPD issued notices to all agencies involved, including NGOs that provide support services in emergency situations.

The simulations are expected to run into the evening, and will also take place in locations such as Wied il-Għajn, Għajn Tuffieħa, and Mistra Village.

Patrick Murgo told the media that the exercise represents the culmination of three month of logistical discussions and planning.

He explained that the rescue personnel taking part in the disaster simulations are working 'blind', meaning that they are unaware of what they will face, and must discover the situation on the ground as they would in a genuine disaster scenario.

Murgo also said that the rescue forces involved were informed that an earthquake had happened, and shortly after, requests for assistance from several locations around the island started rolling in.

The simulation was being held to assess several areas of rescue agencies' and NGO's performance, including the ability of various agencies to cooperate and communicate with each other.

He added that various aspects of Malta's rescue work in general are also being assessed, ranging from issues such as restricted access to disaster-struck area, to the stability of communication networks in disaster situations.

"All these elements are part of the exercise. We're doing our best to look at several aspects of rescue work at once so that we can refine the technique with which we approach the coordination and execution of rescue efforts," Murgo said.

Communications is particularly essential to rescue efforts, the CPD Head insisted, adding that the CPD is cooperating with the Malta Radio Amateurs NGO to remain in touch with Brussels and other European civil protection centres "in the eventuality that normal channels go down."