School community attends multi‑skill safety session
Students, teachers and non‑teaching staff at St. Thomas School in Shimla took part in a one‑day disaster preparedness programme organised by the Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (HPSDMA). The session was conducted under the guidance of Dr. Pushpendra Rana, Director‑cum‑Special Secretary, Disaster Management, and coordinated by Dr. Krishan Chand, Training and Capacity Building Specialist, HPSDMA.
The event brought together a total of 177 participants, including students, classroom teachers and support staff. The programme combined practical demonstrations with awareness briefings aimed at equipping the school community with basic lifesaving and emergency management skills.
"The programme covered disaster awareness, the drop‑cover‑hold technique during earthquakes, earthquake alerts on Android phones, fire safety, CPR, FBAO, improvised floating devices, stretcher‑making, emergency carrying methods and early warning applications."
What was taught
- Preparedness and disaster awareness
- Earthquake response: drop, cover and hold technique
- Use of early warning apps and earthquake alerts on Android devices
- Fire safety procedures and basic firefighting awareness
- Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and management of foreign body airway obstruction (FBAO)
- Improvised flotation devices, stretcher construction and emergency carrying methods
Participation and immediate implications
According to organisers, the participants included 148 students, 22 teachers and seven non‑teaching staff. The mix of classroom and hands‑on activities was intended to ensure that staff and pupils could both recognise hazards and apply basic response techniques until professional responders arrive.
| Participant group | Number |
|---|---|
| Students | 148 |
| Teachers | 22 |
| Non‑teaching staff | 7 |
| Total | 177 |
For school communities, practical training such as CPR and stretcher‑making can change immediate outcomes in the first minutes after an incident. Training in early warning tools and mobile alerts can also support quicker, more coordinated responses during an earthquake or other fast‑moving emergencies.
While this session took place in Shimla, the topics addressed are relevant to school boards, administrators and parents elsewhere who review or update emergency plans for campuses, transportation and extracurricular activities.
