Mumbai: In an effort to address manpower shortage, the Civil Defence has urged members of the public and those serving various branches of the administration to join the force.
The Directorate of Civil Defence was in the spotlight recently after the Centre ordered mock drills to be carried out in view of tensions with Pakistan. The unit, which had been unofficially scrapped a few years ago, was revived by its incumbent Prabhat Kumar in the past few years. It has more than 150 salaried officials and 10,000 volunteers across the state, of whom around 2,000 to 2,500 are in Mumbai.
The force has now appealed to the police to participate as volunteers and undergo training on how to stay safe and help others during emergencies. On May 13, the police department issued an internal letter providing information about how to join the Civil Defence.
The Civil Defence has also appealed to retired police personnel, children of police personnel, and other family members to support and inspire others by joining as volunteers. Senior officers have been asked to share this information with their staff.
The Civil Defence has stated that anyone who wishes to serve as a volunteer may contact the Civil Defence Office, located near the old Secretariat building at Fort.
Whether the threat is natural or man-made, the Civil Defence plays a key role in saving lives, maintaining production and communication systems, boosting public morale, and offering timely assistance. These vital tasks require proper training and cannot be performed effectively without preparation.
To support such preparedness, the Civil Defence Act of 1968 was passed at the national level. As in other states, the Civil Defence was established in Maharashtra with two primary objectives: To form teams for rescue and relief operations during disasters, and to recruit and train citizen volunteers to provide prompt help in such emergencies.
