Provincial armed forces are ready with plans for natural disaster prevention and search and rescue.

Nam Dinh city armed forces practice handling landslides on Huu Hong dike.

According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, in 2025, there will be many extreme weather patterns. Storms and tropical depressions are likely to directly affect the North from July, accompanied by rainfall exceeding the average of many years. Implementing the direction of the Provincial People's Committee, the Nam Dinh Provincial Military Command has urgently deployed many specific activities to respond to natural disasters according to the "4 on-site" motto (on-site command, on-site forces, on-site means, on-site logistics). The Provincial Military Command also took the lead in developing and implementing a plan to ensure the safety of dikes and culverts under the dikes during the flood season. Key locations have been surveyed, protection plans have been developed, and materials have been mobilized from both the State and local businesses. Along with training and drills, propaganda work has been strongly coordinated by the Provincial Military Command. Community communication sessions, propaganda on radio, television and local loudspeaker systems have helped people raise their awareness of natural disaster prevention, know how to behave when storms and floods occur, and limit initial damage. In addition, the armed forces at all levels focus on combining disaster prevention training with local defense tasks, strengthening inspection and supervision of irrigation works and dykes, and coordinating strict handling of violations in the dyke protection corridor. Strengthening effective coordination between military forces, border guards, police, health, militia and socio- political organizations in disaster prevention and search and rescue work.

Every year, the Provincial Military Command has directed the Military Commands of districts and cities to review, supplement, and adjust the disaster prevention and control and search and rescue plans to be closer to reality; advise the Party Committee and the government to deploy drills to respond to storms, dike breaks, and evacuate residents... In 2024, in Hai Hau district, the disaster prevention and control and search and rescue drill codenamed "HH-24" was organized on a large scale, mobilizing nearly 2,000 people from many forces and means to participate. The drill content includes both the operation of the mechanism and practice of handling specific situations such as: evacuating people from dangerous areas when there are heavy rains, floods, landslides, rescuing trapped people, responding to dike breaks, searching for victims on the river, organizing first aid medical forces and ensuring technical logistics in emergency conditions. The exercise clearly demonstrated the operating mechanism of “Party leadership, government management, armed forces as the core of staff, organization and implementation”, showing the close and synchronous coordination between forces in handling incidents and natural disasters. Through the exercise, the command and management capacity of Party committees and authorities at all levels was significantly improved; armed forces and agencies and units practiced combat skills in complex, realistic conditions, thereby consolidating the civil defense posture, improving the ability to respond promptly and effectively to natural disasters and incidents occurring in the area.

In the first months of 2025, districts and cities have simultaneously organized and completed PCTT and TKCN drills to organize training on plans and situations for functional forces. In Nghia Hung district, the drill in Dong Thinh commune simulated a level 11-12 storm combined with high tides, threatening the Dao dike. In emergency conditions, the forces coordinated to evacuate more than 100 people and property, handle house collapse situations, provide first aid to victims... ensuring absolute safety for people and vehicles. In Nam Dinh city, the military directly participated in drills to handle situations of landslides on dike slopes and prevent major floods in Nam Phong and Cua Nam wards. During the drill, the functional forces, with the core being the city's military, quickly deployed to evacuate people outside the dike, organize safe rescue for hundreds of households, and protect military warehouses and barracks...

From the actual drills and responses, through surveys and understanding of the functional forces, a number of difficulties were identified: the dyke system and drainage culverts in vulnerable areas have not been repaired in a timely manner; the shock force at the commune level still lacks training; rescue equipment such as boats, buoys, and pumps is still lacking and outdated. On that basis, the Provincial Military Command directed localities to step up training and drills, supplement supplies and equipment, and strengthen the early warning system. In particular, the Provincial Military Command has coordinated with the Department of Agriculture and Environment, the Provincial Border Guard Command, and the Provincial Police to develop a search and rescue plan on both land and sea, especially at river mouths and coastal areas with high density of ships.

Promoting the achieved results, the provincial military continues to identify the work of disaster prevention and control and search and rescue as an important and long-term political task. In which, the provincial military plays the core role, constantly improving organizational and command capacity; promoting the spirit of initiative, creativity, and flexible response in all situations; each officer and soldier of the provincial military is a soldier on the disaster prevention and control front.

Article and photos: Hoang Tuan

Source: https://baonamdinh.vn/xa-hoi/202506/luc-luong-vu-trangtinh-san-sang-cac-phuong-anphong-chong-thien-tai-tim-kiem-cuu-nan-66d64f1/