Asian Development Bank’s recently released report said that Nepal is the fourth vulnerable nation in terms of natural disaster. From earthquake to landslide, fires and floods, Nepalese have been facing all kinds of disasters. In this context, opening a Disaster Center by Nepal Armed Police in Kurintar, 90 kilometers west of capital, is important.


Clearly, there is a lack of training in Nepal’s disaster management to cope up when disasters strike.


Armed Police Force (APF) is the main organization that is currently looking after disaster management.  Looking at the need to enhance the training to tackle any disaster and to effectively deal with various calamities, the Armed Police Force (APF) has established a “disaster management training center” at Kurintar, Chitwan.


Located at a place where landslides and road accidents are frequent, the training center will provide international standards training. APF Chief, Inspector General of Police Sailendra Kumar Shrestha formally inaugurated the training center on Thursday, March 15, 2012.


APF has made a five-year training work plan and it expects to provide three months training to some 28 percent of its force within that period.


According to APF, a team which came back from the Philippines and India after receiving disaster management training will instruct the trainees.


The center will provide training on Collapse Structure Search and Rescue (CSSR), Medical First Respond (MFR), Dead Body Management (DBM), Mountaineering and Climbing and Water Rescue.

The training center at Kurintar is one of a kind in the whole region and was a must for the country, says APF.


With the establishment of this training center, the APF believes that it will be able to train its force in a more effective and managed way and improve the overall quality in disaster handling.


The proposal to establish the training center was accepted by the government back in December 2011 and APF aims at expanding the training center to make a much wider reach. The training will be given to members of the force up to the post of deputy superintendent of police (DSP).


Disasters can happen anytime.  They can neither be predicted nor can be avoided. Nepal is one of the most vulnerable countries to natural disasters like earthquakes and is a frequent recipient of other disasters like floods and landslides. The news of death of people due to road accidents and fire outbreaks makes headlines more often than not. Sometimes the lack of prompt rescue from the accident site also takes away lives of many people.