Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar attended a ceremony held in the commemoration of the completion of 15 years of Punjab Emergency Service Rescue-1122 at Emergency Services Academy, Tokhar Niaz Baig on Monday. He cut the anniversary cake and appreciated the professional capabilities and skills of rescuers. Addressing the ceremony, the Chief Minister said that the dream of Punjab Emergency Service has been materialized adding that credit goes to DG Rescue-1122 Dr Rizwan Naseer. The officials of Rescue-1122 have made it as one of the best institutions in the country. The Rescue-1122 officials are lucky as they are getting blessings of Allah Almighty and prayers of the people while performing their duties. The Chief Minister announced to regularize 3400 employees of Rescue-1122 and said that the employees who have served for three years will be regularized in two weeks. He said that service structure will be implemented within two weeks and also announced to restore 50 percent emergency allowance of the rescuers. He also announced the restoration of emergency allowance on which 50 percent deduction as imposed in 2017. He expressed the satisfaction that emergency services academy is a qualitative institution of the Punjab province which is also providing high-quality training facilities to rescuers of other provinces. He disclosed that the scope of Rescue-1122 is being expanded from districts to all the tehsils in phases and appreciated that record of average seven-minute response time has been maintained. Similarly, it is also an honour that it has been granted the status of the first registered institution of emergency services by the United Nations among SAARC countries. Punjab emergency services and emergency services academy is a model for other SAARC countries, he added. Meanwhile, the response time of motorcycle emergency service is also a record. He said that Rescue-1122 has helped 75 lakh people in different emergency situations in Punjab and it is also praiseworthy that properties worth billions of rupees have been secured through fire and rescue services and immediate response was given in one lakh and 35 thousand fire emergencies. The rescuers should continue public services, all the resources of the Punjab government will be available for them, he said. I am confident that Rescue-1122 will not only maintain its high-standard of delivery but will further improve it, concluded Usman Buzdar. DG Rescue-1122 Dr Rizwan Naseer also addressed the function. Nadeem Baraa MPA, former Federal Secretary Sohail Ahmad and a large number of rescuers were also present on this occasion.
