These training sessions illustrate the commitment of TSF and the European Commission with the NDRRMC (National Disaster, Risk Reduction and Management Council) for a more efficient disaster response.
Indeed, after its emergency deployment on September 28th 2009, in response to the two tropical storms Ketsana and Parma, Télécoms Sans Frontières signed an agreement with the NDRRMC to set up a training program in emergency telecommunications. These trainings financed by the European Commission, are directed at the NDRRMC staff and the NGOs working in the areas hit by the two typhoons. In order to optimise relief operations in case of disaster in the Philippines, TSF also offered to the NDRRMC 10 emergency telecommunication kits and 27 satellite phones.
On 18th October 2010, Typhoon Megi hit the Philippines.
The emergency telecommunication kits provided by TSF between November 2009 and April 2010 were prepositioned in the regional and provincial offices of the Philippine Civil Security. After Typhoon Megi hit the archipelago, communications and electrical power were heavily damaged in some areas, and despite the excellent results obtained during the equipment deployment trials one week before, relief organisms encountered difficulties in the setting up of the emergency telecom device. Indeed, most of the people trained by TSF were affected by the storm and found themselves unable to act anymore.
That is how typhoon Megi emphasised the absolute necessity to train a higher number of emergency workers in the use of the kits, from the NDRRMC, local NGOs or other relief organisms, but also to improve the training regarding the setting up of emergency telecommunication services.
Between 21 March and 13 May, TSF conducted 3 week long training sessions in emergency telecommunications to the benefit of 84 emergency responders working in the regions affected by Typhoon Megi in October 2010. 33 Different organizations were trained during the courses: NDRRMC Members, NGOs including Handicap International and Save the Children, and United Nations agencies (UN OCHA, UNDSS).
Training 1
Location Manila
Date 21-25/3/11
Number of Participants 27
Number of Organisations 21
Organisations DENR - MGB, NCRCOM AFP, OCD, CICT-TELOF, DSWD - MISS, DENR - NAMRIA, NTC - FMD, DOH - HEMS, CDAG, ACF, ULAP, NGCP, ECT, REACT Philippines, National Power corp, PNP - DICTM, DPWH, Save the Children, AFP, Gawad Kalinga, DOST PAGASA, DENR - NAMRIA, NTC - FMD, DOH - HEMS, CDAG, ACF, ULAP
Training 2
Location Tuguegarao
Date 2-6/5/11
Number of Participants 25
Number of Organisations 11
Organisations OCD, BFAR- Region 2, PDRRMC, Handicap International, NTC, TELOF, PNP, BFP, DOH - CHDCV, PLDT, DPWH
Training 3
Location Manila
Date 9-13/5/11
Number of Participants 32
Number of Organisations 15
Organisations PDRRMC, PHIVOLCS-DOST, OCHA, UNDSS, TELOF-CICT, PIA,DOH-HEMS, NAPOCOR, DSWD, OCD, NHQ-BFP-DILG, NGCP, OJ6-AFP, PAGASA-DOST, LPP, LMP
Total different Organisations 33
Agenda of the TSF training week in emergency telecommunications:
For TSF, the objective of these training sessions in emergency telecommunications is to transmit its knowledge and know how in the use of satellite equipment. This objective is partly completed thanks to the week of training, but also thanks to the sharing of information that occurs between the beneficiaries and their partners within their own organisations.
The experts trained this way constitute a network of specialists in emergency telecommunications, who are able to coordinate their efforts to increase the efficiency of relief operations in the Philippines.
