Simulation Based Training for Disaster Management

 UNISDR[1] was created in December 1999 as part of the UN Secretariat with the purpose of ensuring the implementation of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction. The 'Hyogo Framework for Action: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters (HFA)' is a 10-year plan to make the world safer from natural hazards. It was endorsed by the UN General Assembly following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.

National progress report from India on the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action (2011-2013) was prepared by Joint Secretary, Disaster Management, Ministry of Home Affairs, in Mar 2013 and printed by 01 May 13 and is available online for all to read.

Incidentally, the ministries, organisations, departments, and institutions that have been acknowledged to have contributed to the report do not include Ministry of Defence or Army or IAF.  Probably they were not consulted at all. Though, within a month plus immediately after the release of this report, MoD, Army, IAF were the first responders to the tragedy in Uttrakhand and their work has been well acknowledged now. That much for the efforts taken by the concerned functionaries while preparing this report!

Extract from Report from India

In India Disaster Management is primarily dealt by State Governments while Central government plays a supportive role. The State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs) and District level (DDMAs) have been created at the state and district level and are being strengthened. The report acknowledges that there is a lack of synergy between the existing institutions and the newly created authorities. The report contemplates that dedicated Human Resource Support and funding arrangements are being provided for strengthening SDMAs and DDMAs. It reaffirms that the Civil Defense Act, 1968 has been amended to include disaster management in their domain.

Over the course of implementation of Disaster Management Act, 2005, the Government of India constituted a Task Force for review of the Act. The Task Force submitted its report to the Government on 8th March, 2013 and currently, the Government of India is examining the report.

While going through the report, it  pains to note that the report hardly lays down any concrete steps that are being contemplated or actually been taken at the National level for training of ‘specialists’ and ‘general public’ in dealing with various types of disasters. Taking the cue of being a federal structure, the subject has been left for individual States to tackle. It is prudent that a National Policy on Training for Disasters must be formulated, which can act as a guideline for the States and Districts to follow, thus synchronizing and synergising the training in this highly technical field.

Globally, Simulation based training for meeting the various types of disasters has become a method for preparing people for disasters. Simulations can replicate emergency situations and track how learners respond thanks to a lifelike experience.

Disaster preparedness simulations scenarios range from training on how to handle terrorism attacks, natural disasters, pandemic outbreaks, bioterrorism, smallpox or forest fire fighting, oil or chemical spill response, earthquake response, law enforcement, municipal firefighting, hazardous material handling, military training, and response to terrorist attack and other life-threatening emergencies.

Instructionally, the benefits of emergency training through simulations are that learner performance can be tracked through the system. This allows the developer to make adjustments as necessary or alert the educator on topics that may require additional attention. Other advantages are that the learner can be guided or trained on how to respond appropriately before continuing to the next emergency segment—this is an aspect that may not be available in the live-environment. In a live-emergency situation, emergency responders do not have time to waste. Some emergency training simulators also allows for immediate feedback, while other simulations may provide a summary and instruct the learner to engage in the learning topic again.

With the advent of latest geo-spatial tools, the exact geographical layout of the terrain of the ‘area of planned deployment’ of the trainees can be suitably rendered simulated and interfaced with the training tool. Such real time simulation-training environment provides an opportunity for learners to gather as much information as they can and practice their knowledge in a safe environment. They can make mistakes without risk of endangering lives and be given the opportunity to correct their errors to prepare for the real-life emergency.

Preparing for Medical response, it should be noted that in simulation based disaster training, unusual life-threatening conditions can be simulated for unusual circumstances. From CPR to administering first aid can all be packaged into various scenarios for training. Since disaster is not an everyday event, there is limited practical experience. Cost to conduct mass casualty exercises is prohibitive. Standardised patients/care actors have been generally used for disaster simulation to assess individual readiness with respect to equipment, medications and procedures, team readiness in rapid response teams, and organisational readiness in case of a natural disaster or bio-terrorism. Such training tools and knowledge needs to be imparted to those, who are expected to be ‘first responders’ in any future eventuality.

Recommendations           

In the backdrop of lessons learnt during Tsunami of 2004, 26/11 at Mumbai or the latest Uttarakhand tragedy, it is high time that the resources of MHA, HRD, MoST and MoD are synergized to develop such simulations based training curriculum / packages and imparted at schools and colleges, panchayats and municipalities, thus giving it a mass contact appeal and importance.

The mass awareness campaign through mock drills in school or college or cities and advertisements on radio and TV may have spread relevant awareness about the monster, but the actual training on likely disasters, in simulated environment, will reap greater dividends in times of emergencies.

Even the gaming industry must come forward and develop / design relevant, area / threat specific simulated games customized for Indian environment.

Let us collectively learn from these recent major disasters and take it as a National Challenge to develop tools to train ourselves and our kith well enough, so that in the hour of need, we are all enabled as a society to deal with it, rather than waiting for ‘angels from heaven’ or ‘barracks’ to come and rescue us.

The author is a Senior Fellow at CLAWS

Views expressed are personal