Role of School Students in

Disaster Risk Management

By:
T. Annamathy
What is Disaster Management?

Disaster is an incident that which will create

human and economic loss.
Disaster is can be divided into two types:
 Ways in Which Students Can Support During a
Crisis?
If you as a student are inclined towards lending a helping hand to others,
the following sections will help you contribute to this noble ideal of social
service.
A Disaster in School
Imagine a scenario when a group of students witness another
student lose consciousness after he being accidently
electrocuted through a faulty switch. When faced with such a
situation, it calls for a great deal of presence of mind from
the onlookers to find a way to save the victim.
Here are the preventive steps students can take to
help to save an accident victim.

• A well-chalked out plan that will be come into force during an internal or external
disaster
• Active involvement with public service agencies like ambulance, police and fire
departments
• Training imparted to school staff to better manage the crisis without panicking
• Circulation of pamphlets about disaster management in every classroom
• Identifying the extent of damage caused by the crisis as a data point for the head of the
institution to initiate corrective measures
• Constantly being watchful about the safety of school mates
Acting on Information – The Best Way to Manage
an External Crisis

Education is all about assimilating information. And this

information comes from books and experiences. Far away from
experiencing this benefit are the illiterates who live in remote
villages. Such people are the ones who are susceptible to nature’s
fury which can come in the form of an inundating flood or a shaky
earthquake.
Following are the ways in which you can become a source of
important information to them who are in the dire need of your
support to overcome the troubled situation.

 You can spread the word about disasters along with certain measures that can be
taken to handle them better
 You can productively utilize your holiday time by organizing mock camps, throwing
light on the “do’s” and “don’ts” of a natural calamity or accident
 Setting up and becoming a part of “rescue teams” can come as another worthwhile
move to save people during an emergency
 You as a volunteer should ensure that the victims do not panic during the
emergency.
 First-aid training imparted to students is a good damage-control mechanism that a
well-informed group of students can implement
Working with Government Specialized Agencies:

NDRF = National Disaster Response Force, there is a wing at Arokkonam

IMD = Indian Metrological Department, New Delhi
IRCS = Indian Red Cross Society
NIDM = National Institute of Disaster Management
NDMA = National Disaster Management Authority
SDMA = State Disaster Management Authority
DDMA = District Disaster Management Agency

Emergency Contact No:

SDMA (State level) = 1070
DDMA (District level) = 1077
Conclusion
Healing people better than medicines, it is though this act of community
service that you will become a role model in the lives of the survivors of a
major disaster or minor accident. Helping them wriggle back to the state of
normalcy, there will come a day when you will become a hero in the lives of
victims you helped through your selfless service and presence of mind.

We cannot stop natural disasters but we can arm ourselves with knowledge: so
many lives wouldn't have to be lost if there was enough disaster preparedness.