In the ensuing chaos immediately after Saturday’s earthquake in Nepal, the Emergency Operations Centres (EOCs) in the districts not only played a vital role in gathering information, but the small tools stored there were critical in helping clear blocked roads for ground transportation, and search and rescue teams.
Initially, these shovels, and picks and mattocks were the only tools that police personnel had at their disposal to clear debris to save lives.
A hand mike and the PA system also proved very useful in alerting people not to go back into their homes in the district headquarters, until the aftershocks subsided.
“Shovels and ropes were extremely useful in rescuing people trapped under debris,” said UNDP’s Kedar Babu Dhungana who works closely with the EOCs. The security teams that rushed to respond were able to make use of rescue kits, including safety helmets, in rescuing people trapped in damaged structures.”
The rescue kits, which include safety vests, helmets, shovels, ropes and picks and mattocks, are part of the standard tool kit provided to the Emergency Operations Centres. UNDP has supported the government of Nepal in establishing 44 district EOCs and 2 Regional EOCs and a National EOC.
The EOCs, funded by UKaid, are part UNDP’s Comprehensive Disaster Risk Management Programme which has worked with Government institutions and communities to help them prepare for disasters.
The Central EOC has played a crucial role in collecting and relaying information to the Ministry of Home Affairs. In fact, the first crisis cabinet meeting of Nepal Government immediately after the Earthquake took place at Central EOC, which was the only earthquake safe facility within the premises of the Government Secretariat at Singha Durbar in Kathmandu.
According to UNDP’s Dhungana, local authorities say that the EOCs and their emergency equipment were critical for both information gathering and the initial response.