THE local disaster units composing the Negros First Emergency Rescue Team in Negros Occidental will showcase its P2 million worth of rescue equipment during the National Simultaneous Earthquake drill in Iloilo on Thursday, February 21.

Zeaphard Caelian, head of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said the province will send a 24-man team to Iloilo.

“It will be a composite team of our rescuers from Talisay City, Silay City, La Carlota City, and Bago City, the Amity Fire Brigade, and the Bureau of Fire Protection.”

The Negros First Emergency Rescue Team will showcase its capabilities for collapse structure and urban search and rescue.

The team will go there on February 20 for the orientation and the actual drill will be on February 21 which will be witnessed by Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año and officials of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council.

“We will bring the equipment. The idea is Negros Occidental will launch its capabilities. We will share it with them. We are doing this to practice on responding to our neighboring provinces,” Caelian said.

Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr.led the send-off ceremony for the rescue team at the Provincial Capitol grounds on Monday, February 18. (TDE)