Mock Drill held at Rajahmundry railway station

Rajamahendravaram: South Central Railway, Vijayawada Division, conducted a mock drill in association with NDRF 10th Battalion team under the supervision of Additional Divisional Railway Manager M Srikanth at Rajamahendravaram railway station on Wednesday. All the stakeholders of the State government administration like fire brigade, 108 Ambulance staff, medical staff took part in this joint mock drill.

Self Propelled Accident Relief Medical Van (SPARMV), Mechanical, S&T, Safety, Engineering, Operating, Commercial Staff and 10th Battalion of NDRF jointly performed the Mock Drill exercise on a derailed condemned coach. The basic objective of conducting this mock drill is to train the staff working in Medical Relief Trains to play a vital role in extraction of passengers and move them to the nearest hospital for treatment, which will help in saving precious lives and minimize the casualties.

Mock Drill exercise was held with a total of 100 Railway staff and 30 people from 10th Battalion NDRF and Scout rovers taking part in rescue and restoration operations. One condemned coach with SLR van and Medical Relief Van were placed on Road No 19 near Coal siding, Rajahmundry for the purpose of mock drill exercise. This exercise is not only aimed at training the staff in using the state-of the-art Hydraulic Rescue Devices that are available in MRVs, but also to train them in entering the derailed coaches in typical situations where all possible ways of entering the coaches blocked.

Speaking on the occasion, Sr DSO Vijayawada Division PVN Ravi Kumar said that it is a multiple department exercise, as part of periodical training to staff of Mechanical, Safety, Medical and S&T dpartments to help them be prepared in times of exigency for quick and swift response to undertake rescue operations in minimum possible time to reduce rail passenger casualties. He said that mock drills are conducted quarterly to review the preparedness of staff and working of various rescue equipment.