The effectiveness of disaster prevention and control drills in Son Tay

Deputy Head of the Department of Irrigation and Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, Deputy Chief of Office of the Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control and Search and Rescue of Hanoi City Tran Thanh Man opened the drill. *Photo: Kim Nhue*

The drill was organized by the Hanoi Department of Irrigation and Disaster Prevention and Control (Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Environment) in coordination with the People's Committee of Son Tay Ward, with the participation of nearly 200 people. This activity is part of the Project to implement Directive No. 42-CT/TU dated March 24, 2020 of the Central Party Secretariat.

Realistic situations, quick and correct operations

Forces of the Civil Defense Command of Son Tay Ward transport materials to handle the dike incident. *Photo: Kim Nhuệ*

The hypothetical situation is that prolonged heavy rain, combined with the hydroelectric reservoir opening its floodgates, causes the water level of the Red River to rise. On the level I dike right in Hong, through Son Tay ward, incidents occur simultaneously: Extrusion - eruption, dike slope collapse, seepage and dike surface overflow. Six households living along the foot of the dike are at risk of having to evacuate urgently.

Handling the leaking incident on the Hong Huu dike. *Photo: Kim Nhue*

Faced with that development, the Civil Defense Command of Son Tay Ward convened an urgent meeting, activated the command and control mechanism, assigned specific tasks and areas to each member, and deployed response plans according to the "4 on-site" motto.

Handling landslide incident on Huu Hong dike. *Photo: Kim Nhue*

Following the direction of the Command Board, Son Tay Ward Radio Station continuously updates weather developments and natural disaster situations, and broadcasts information on necessary disaster prevention and control skills to the community. The dike guard force organizes regular patrols, promptly detects, marks the location of incidents and reports to the command level.

Troubleshooting of extrusion circuits and dike foot foam circuits. *Photo: Kim Nhue*

Immediately after receiving the information, the Ward Civil Defense Command ordered the mobilization of forces, means, and materials, divided into 5 groups to simultaneously handle the following situations: seepage, landslides, extrusion, agglomeration, and dike overflow...

Elevating the surface to prevent dike overflow. *Photo: Kim Nhue*

Speaking to reporters, Deputy Head of the Hanoi Department of Irrigation and Disaster Prevention and Control Tran Thanh Man said that the drill scenarios were built close to the local reality and the dike system. "The drill is an opportunity for the locality to test the plan, evaluate the capacity of implementation at the grassroots level, and at the same time raise public awareness in the context of increasingly extreme weather," Mr. Tran Thanh Man emphasized.

Learned many valuable lessons

Clear functions, tasks, sufficient human resources, materials and means are decisive factors in natural disaster prevention and control. *Photo: Kim Nhuệ*

Summarizing the drill, Vice Chairman of Son Tay Ward People's Committee Khuat Quang Hanh affirmed: "The police officers and soldiers and the militia have seriously implemented the plan and coordinated effectively. This is an important opportunity to consolidate skills, practice proactive spirit and improve on-site command and control capabilities."

Decisive commands and urgent drums play an important role in disaster prevention and control. *Photo: Kim Nhuệ*

From the perspective of the scene, Deputy Commander of the Military Command of Son Tay Ward Tran Giang shared: “The drill helps the militia and self-defense force improve their practical capacity and grasp the steps to handle incidents in the first hour. This is a valuable lesson, helping to proactively respond when natural disasters occur in reality.”

Standing Deputy Secretary of Son Tay Ward Party Committee Le Dai Thang directs disaster prevention and control drills. *Photo: Kim Nhue*

The drill in Son Tay ward is a clear demonstration of the local government’s proactiveness and methodical approach in organizing forces, developing plans and practicing coordination in handling specific natural disaster situations. In the context of the two-level local government model just coming into operation, the role of command and management at the grassroots level needs to be strengthened through such practical activities.

Not only is it a technical rehearsal of dike protection, the exercise also spreads the spirit of vigilance and responsibility in the community in the face of natural disasters.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/hieu-qua-tu-dien-tap-phong-chong-thien-tai-o-son-tay-711665.html