Mock Drill in association with National Disaster Response Force team held at Rajahmundry Railway Station

South Central Railway, Vijayawada Division conducted Mock Drill in association with NDRF 10th Battalion team under the supervision of Shri M . Srikanth, Additional Divisional Railway Manager, Operations, Vijayawada Division on 23 March, 2022 at Coal Siding (East main entrance) Rajahmundry Railway Station. Dr. N.V.S Kumari. Assistant Chief Medical Superintendent, Rajahmundry, Shri P.V.N Ravi Kumar, Sr. Divisional Safety Officer, Officers of Vijayawada Divisional Headquarters took part in the Mock Drill exercise.

Self Propelled Accident Relief Medical Van (SPARMV), Mechanical, S&T, Safety, Engineering , Operating, Commercial Staff and 10th Battalion of NDRF jointly performed the Mock Drill exercise on a derailed condemned coach. All the stakeholders of State Govt. Administration like fire brigade, 108 Ambulance staff, Medical staff took park in this joint mock drill.

The basic objective of conducting this mock drill is to train the staff working in Medical Relief Trains to play vital role in extraction of passengers and move them to the nearest hospital for treatment, which will help in saving precious lives and minimize the casualties.

Mock Drill Exercise started at 09.30 hrs with the ringing of alarm at the spot and underwent till 12:00 hrs in the afternoon with a total of 100 Railway staff and 30 people from 10th Battalion NDRF and Scout rovers taking part in rescue and restoration operations. One condemned coach with SLR van and Medical Relief Van were placed on Road No. 19 near Coal siding, Rajahmundry for the purpose of mock drill exercise. This exercise is not only aimed at training the staff in using the state of art Hydraulic Rescue Devices that are available in MRVs, but also to train them in entering the derailed coaches in typical situations where all possible ways of entering the blocked coaches.

Details of the Mock Drill Exercise:

🚇 After the alarm siren rang loud, the Carriage & Works (C&W) team of SPARMV staff immediately rushed to the condemned coach and started cutting the window iron grills and the side bodies of the coach to split open the coaches and rescue the wounded passengers.

🚇 Heavy Hydraulic cutters, drilling machines, Cold cutting machines etc. were used by the C&W team during the exercise.

🚇 NDRF team rushed into the coaches for rescuing the injured passengers.

🚇 NDRF team demonstrated various methods in rescuing the passenger in various injured conditions.

🚇 The injured passengers were rushed to caravan and were rendered first Aid services. After the first aid treatment they were shifted to MRV or ambulance depending on the gravity of injury.

🚇 Hydraulic Splitters were used to free trapped passengers in the debris of derailed coach.

🚇 Coach Derailment procedure using hydraulic jacks was demonstrated by the mechanical staff.

🚇 Fire fighting staff demonstrated firefighting with different types of extinguishers in the advent of a fire breakout during any derailments or accidents. Fire brigade staff put off the fire in the coach by spraying hydrants.

Shri M Srikanth ADRM, Operations, appreciated the Railway and NDRF staff for completing the Mock Drill in minimum possible time. ADRM said that the objective of this mock drill to test the various equipment procured for use during disasters and to undertake hands on experience with cold cutting equipment and hydraulic machines which will enable easy lifting of injured

passengers from the coaches and minimizing the human damage.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri. P.V.N. Ravi Kumar, Sr. DSO Vijayawada Division said that it is a multiple department exercise, as a part of periodical training to the staff of Mechanical, Safety, Medical and S&T Departments to help them be prepared in times of exigency for quick and swift response to undertake rescue operations in minimum possible time to reduce rail passengers casualties. He also said that mock drills are conducted quarterly to review the preparedness of Staff and working of various rescue equipment along with one annual mock drill in the similar fashion by involving all the stakeholders.

Shri M. Ravi Kiran, Sr. Divisional Mechanical Engineer; Shri S. Muni Reddy, Sr. Divisional Electrical Engineer, Maintenance; Shri R. Viswanath Reddy, Sr. Divisional S&T Engineer; Shri U Akkireddy, Sr. DEN, North; Shri J. Srinath, DOM; Ms. Nusrat M Mandrupkar, PRO; Shri Zahid Khan, Commandant, 10th Battalion, NDRF; Shri Rajeev Kumar, Inspector, NDRF and Team participated in the Joint Mock Drill exercise at Rajahmundry Railway Station.