Joint communication exercise between Fire Service, ARAB successfully ends
Staff Correspondent
A joint communication exercise between the Fire Service and Civil Defense and the Amateur Radio Association of Bangladesh (ARAB) has been completed to maintain operational activities by establishing alternative communication systems nationwide during disasters. The nationwide exercise began on August 23 and ended on August 25.
The exercise was inaugurated by the Director (Ap & Main) of Fire Service, Lt. Col. Md. Mahmudul Hasan, PSC, at 10:00 am on August 23.
Present at the event were Deputy Director (Ap & Main) of Fire Service Department, Md. Mamunur Rashid, Deputy Director of Dhaka Division, Md. Saleh Uddin, BFM, BFM (S), General Secretary of ARAB, Mr. Anoop Kumar Bhowmik, and other officials of Fire Service and ARAB.
Under the guidance of Brigadier General Muhammad Zahed Kamal, NDC, AFWC, PSC, Director General of Fire Service, this exercise was conducted to maintain uninterrupted communication in order to properly conduct rescue operations in major disasters.
This exercise is basically an exercise on how the members of the Amateur Radio Association can restore communication with the Fire Service and keep operational activities running if the Fire Service's communication system breaks down. Rescue operations in various disasters such as earthquakes, cyclones, tidal waves, floods, radioactivity and landslides were practiced at a total of 16 locations in 8 divisions.
At the same time, the process of mutual coordination and working together in disasters among the Fire Service Amateur Radio Association of Bangladesh has become easier. On the second day of the exercise, on August 24, Brigadier General Muhammad Zahed Kamal visited Mirpur and inspected the overall activities and gave various directions.
On.Tuesday (August 25) at 10:00 AM, Director (Training, Planning and Development) Lt. Col. MA Azad Anwar, PSC inspected the overall activities of the exercise.
The exercise ended at 3:30 PM. From the Fire Service EOC, Mirpur, Director (Ap: and Main:) Lt. Col. Md. Mahmudul Hasan established radio contact with the Fire Service officers and ARAB representatives of all departments and announced the evaluation and completion of the overall exercise activities through a Zoom meeting.
