The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Gombe State Operations Office, on Thursday began a two-day basic first aid training for its officials.

Mr Simon Katu, Head of Operations, NEMA, Gombe State Operations Office, told journalists that the training was a triennial exercise, which usually precedes the certification of officials.

Katu, who is also a participant, stated that the training was necessary to keep the officials informed on current disaster management knowledge and basic techniques on how to respond to emergencies.

According to him, at the end of the exercise, officials of the agency would be expected to be more professional in their work in terms of assisting rescue operations on the field.

“The basic first aid training is in line with the policy of our agency to enhance the capacity and competence of officials for effective response to emergency.

“The training is also in line with our Director-General’s initiative, which emphasises the need for continuous improvement in staff’s capacity and operational coordination,” he said.

He added that the agency invited the Nigerian Red Cross (NRC) Society to train all its 18 staff members, including the drivers because “in NEMA every staff member is a disaster manager.

“For us, even one life matters. When it comes to property and lives, one mistake may be too costly, hence this training.”

He said since the agency had all the modern response and first aid equipment, such training would put its officials in better position to utilise the equipment maximally, to save lives and respond to emergencies.

Katu stated that his men had been exposed to several other trainings depending on their cadre.

He listed the trainings to include conflict management, community development, community-based early warning, response planning and emergency operating procedures.

On his part, the facilitator from the Red Cross, Mr Bashir Umar, said similar trainings had been done in some zonal offices of NEMA in Abuja, Kano, Yola, Jos and Ekiti.

Umar, who is also the National Training Officer of the Red Cross, said the participants were being trained to give the basic first aid when accidents happen and casualty arise.

He noted the zeal the participants had for learning would help in the improvement of their capacity.

According to him, the zeal will impact positively on their ability to respond to emergency.

Umar said the essence of any first aid was to save life, limit casualty from getting worse and promoting their recovery.

He advised participants to always pay attention to casualty.

Umar said “active listening to casualties, giving words of encouragement can help promote their recovery,” hence the need for participants to approach casualty with a good mindset.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that highlight of the training included lectures by the Red Cross Society as well as demonstrations on how to respond to emergencies using
basic first aid equipment. (NAN)