Rescue 1122 is not just providing the emergency victims with the basic right to timely emergency care but believes in “saving lives and changing minds”. This is vividly reflected in the mission statement of the Service which is “development of Safer Communities through establishment of an effective system for emergency preparedness, response and prevention”.

In order to establish safer communities, Rescue 1122 is implementing the Community Safety Program which includes capacity building of community emergency response teams, school safety program, training of citizens in life saving skills and collaboration with Chamber of Commerce & Industries for fire and work safety.

Prevention of emergencies is one of the key functions of Emergency Service (Rescue 1122) in accordance with section 5(l) and 7(f) of Punjab Emergency Service Act, 2006 and an important contributing factor towards the mission of the Service which is development of safer Communities through establishment of an effective system for emergency preparedness, response and prevention. Community Safety activities of Rescue 1122 ranges from community level preparedness to the level policy making and high level monitoring for enforcement of preventive measures. The main features of Community Safety Activities include following.

The Punjab Emergency Council at provincial level and District Emergency Boards at District level have been constituted under the Act for prevention, effective management of emergencies and mitigation of hazards endangering public safety. The Provincial Council and the District level Boards are well represented by senior Government Management including heads of related organizations like Health, Home, local Government, Transport, Police and Environment Departments and members of Legislative assemblies. Both of these bodies (Council and Boards) make recommendations and also ensure implementation for prevention and mitigation of hazards endangering public safety.

Increasing number of fire emergencies necessitated Rescue 1122 to work for prevention and safety. Fire investigation was instrumental in this regard to trace out reasons behind fires so that appropriate steps can be taken for fire prevention & safety. International standard training of fire investigation was required to address this important issue which was putting lives and properties of citizens at risk. In this regard Mr. Hanzala Malik, member Scottish Parliament played instrumental role in arranging training of fire investigation & safety for Emergency Officers form Strathclyde Fire & Rescue, Glasgow, United Kingdom.

These trained Officers imparted training of fundamental principles of Fire Investigation to District Emergency Officers, Emergency Officers, Lead Fire Rescuers and Fire Rescuers. As result of said trainings, Fire investigation section has been developed in Rescue Service to undertake Fire Investigation studies of all major fires and recommend measures for fire prevention.

Over 40% of Rescue 1122 beneficiaries are those who fall prey to the Road Traffic Crashes. Similarly most of the fatalities and disabilities are also being reported due to traffic crashes. The analysis of traffic crashes shows that over 50% traffic accidents’ victims are having ages from 18 to 50 years and young earning bread winners of society are becoming victims of traffic crashes. Deaths and disabilities to this age group is therefore causing huge socio-economic impact on society.

In order to minimize the number of traffic crashes, Rescue 1122 has started a number of Read Safety initiatives which include regular date compilation and analysis for prevention purposes, Truma Registry Program, Public Awareness campaign of safety messages and disseminating of accidents dairy to media personnel on daily basis.

The Punjab Emergency Service, Rescue 1122 in accordance with section 5(g) of Punjab Emergency Service Act, 2006 is in process of establishing Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) to help citizens making their localities safe communities. CERT members have been sensitized on their responsibilities to work for prevention of emergencies in their areas and enhance their capacity to respond emergencies as First Responders.

CERTs have also been trained in Community Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM) so that in case of any Disaster, community responders can work for mitigation of Disastrous effects.

Students have been sensitized on safety measures like fire safety and civic responsibilities of citizens regarding emergencies. Teachers and students are also being trained in life saving skills and emergency evacuation drills to enable them better manage emergency situations and prevent emergencies from turning into disasters. Hundreds of schools have been trained in evacuation procedures all over the Punjab. Students from colleges and universities are going through this training process.

Citizen at large need to be trained in emergency management skills since emergency can occur anywhere anytime. Industrial workers, health care providers, community development workers, volunteer groups, government officials and general citizens are being trained in emergency management and life saving skills.

In order to encourage corporate sector for social responsibility, close coordination has been established with Chamber of Commerce & Industries for ensuring active participation in development of Safe Communities. District Sialkot has made significant achievement in this regard through overwhelming support of Sialkot Chamber of Commerce & Industries and related institutions at District level.

The Rescue 1122 Service is working in close coordination with international organizations to ensure best practices at community level. Through the support of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), faculty of Emergency Services Academy has been trained as Instructors in Community Action for Disaster Response (CADRE) Program by Asian Disaster Preparedness Center of Bangkok. The Service is also working for Community Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM) in collaboration with UN & other international agencies.