Japanese team arrive to redesign disaster response programme

By ROBERTLYN KIG
A TEAM from Japan representing the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) is here to carry out activities and redesign their disaster response training programme in the country.
According to Jica’s representative officer in PNG, Ryota Nagase, Jica has been supporting PNG since 1974 and this year will mark its 15th anniversary of partnership with PNG. “We look forward to further partnership between the fire station and Jica,” he said.
PNG Fire Service has a partnership with Jica and three of their officials have travelled from Japan to spend a week to understand the current situation of the ex-trainees (status of implementation of the action plan), to deepen the knowledge on ‘fire-fighting and disaster prevention’ through the complementary training for the ex-trainees and related persons, to gather information to improve the training course in the future, and to identify needs in the field of ‘fire and disaster management’ through interviews with the participants’ organisations and the trainees themselves.
Jica has selected PNG to visit and hold workshops for related organisations and persons, and gather as much information in order to improve training codes every year to also improve how we respond to disasters. The Jica team will be visiting a few places, including the two fire stations in Waigani and Boroko, the airport rescue, St John Ambulance, PNG fire headquarters, the Japan embassy, the PNG public servants headquarters, and also accompanying the fire fighters for fire alarm inspection and installation in the national museum and Vision City Mega Mall.