Funded by FIRE AID, Asian Fire Service Association (AFSA) Interim Chair Mehrban Sadiq, General Secretary Yasmin Bukhari, and AFSA Volunteer Keith Trotter (Tyne and Wear FRS) travelled to Pakistan in February 2015 to continue AFSA’s valuable work in Punjab.

Funded by FIRE AID, Asian Fire Service Association (AFSA) Interim Chair Mehrban Sadiq, General Secretary Yasmin Bukhari, and AFSA Volunteer Keith Trotter (Tyne and Wear FRS) travelled to Pakistan in February 2015 to continue AFSA’s valuable work in Punjab.

AFSA’s Yasmin Bukhari and Keith Trotter

The team held a series of meetings and stakeholder workshops to further develop their work in the region. A key activity was the opening of AFSA’s first international office at the newly established Emergency Services Academy in Pakistan from where collaboration between Rescue 1122 (the Punjab Emergency Service) and AFSA will be managed. Rescue 1122 is the largest emergency humanitarian service of Pakistan with infrastructure in all 36 districts of Punjab and provides technical assistance to other provinces. Rescue 1122 has rescued over 3.18 million victims of emergencies through its Ambulance, Rescue & Fire services, and Community Emergency Response Teams covering a population of over 80 million.

Director General of Rescue 1122, Dr. Rizwan Naseer, inaugurated the opening of AFSA’s first international office and spoke about the lack of capacity building for emergency services in developing countries. He welcomed AFSA’s initiative and said that the AFSA office would enhance cooperation between all South Asian countries. The new office will work as a focal-point between the Emergency Services Academy, Pakistan, and AFSA to enhance the future collaboration of AFSA with other regional countries.

The AFSA team at the newly established Emergency Services Academy in Pakistan

Rescue 1122 spokesman Jam Sajjad explained how AFSA officials are working to support Rescue 1122 personnel to deliver training at all levels and to identify gaps in areas such as disaster management and fire prevention.  “The training curriculum of rescue cadets shall be revised and modified applying international standard,” he added.

The result of the visit and establishment of the office will see the enhanced capacity of instructors, revision of their curriculum of training, and the strengthening of ongoing mutual cooperation between the AFSA and Rescue 1122.

Media Coverage
http://www.dawn.com/news/1166616/uk-firefighters-to-train-rescue-personnel
http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-5-304314-Office-of-Asian-Fire-Service-Association-opens