DAVAO CITY, Philippines — The Public Safety and Security Command Center (PSSCC) gave a high rating on the level of response among security and medical responders after they rolled out a surprise simulation exercise Tuesday morning.
In a press briefing on Wednesday, PSSCC Deputy Head Angel Sumagaysay gave 8.5 ratings on the readiness and capability level on implementing security measures of the emergency responders during the exercise.
The rating, Sumagaysay said, is the result of the evaluation on the preparedness and emergency medical services of the personnel of the Davao City Police Office (DCPO), Task Force Davao, City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO), Central 911 and other concerned agencies.
“The 8.5 rating is enough for their performance, it also gives a room for our personnel and the City Government to improve, develop, and upgrade everything related to emergency response,” Sumagaysay said.
To upgrade their service, the PSSCC is now working on a uniform radio frequency in aid of faster emergency response. This is the first step of the agency to further strengthen their service to Davaoeños.
The surprise simulation exercise is part of the regular preparation of the local government for the yearly celebration Kadayawan festival.
Meanwhile, the CTTMO explained the congestion of vehicles in various main roads as they implement lockdown of San Pedro Street during the exercise.
CTTMO head Dionisio Abude clarified that the simulation exercise was unannounced and they were not able to prepare a traffic plan ahead of time. He also added that it is “normal” to experience paralyzed traffic flow of vehicles within 2 hours as they are still figuring out a solution for rerouting.
“Though it is just a simulation exercise, what we experienced was almost the same during a real emergency. Despite that, our personnel did their best to divert routes immediately to lessen the congestion,” Abude said. (davaotoday.com)
