Kozhikode: Revenue Minister E. Chandrashekaran inaugurated the state’s first Students’ Rapid Response Force (SRRF) formed under the revenue department for coordinating emergency rescue operations at the collectorate conference hall on Friday. The pilot project initiated by the state and district disaster management units will be first started at Kodencherry Government College here, the minister said. “The accident at Pashukadavu that claimed the lives of four youngsters made us realise the need for SRRF to act in similar situations,” he said. The SRRF will be trained by the police, Navy, Coast Guard, Fire Force and Territorial Army.
The SRRF members will get the uniforms and identity cards and they would act as a satellite unit of the district disaster management authority. As part of the project, the SRRF of Kodenchery College will undergo a three-day training in disaster management from December 27. After analysing the success of the project in Kozhikode, the SRRF will be spread to other sistricts, he said.
Kodencherry is the best place to experiment with the project as it is close to a hilly terrain, which is prone to landslips and flash floods, said the officials of DDMA. The district medical office will train students in emergency medical care and crowd management during calamities. Transport Minister A.K. Sasindran released the logo of SRRF at the function.
