The Cyclone Preparedness Programme in Bangladesh, Regional

In Dhaka, the Programme office is staffed by 40 personnel headed by the Programme Director
with the main function of managing the Programme.
At the Field level, the implementation of the Programme is divided into four levels(i.e., units,
Unions, Thanas and Zones)
At the Unit level, there are 2733 Teams of volunteers. Each Team has 10 male members and 2
female members headed by a Team Leader. The Unit Teams are in the front line of the Warning
System. Their mandate is to disseminate the Cyclone warning signals among the villagers and to
assist in their evacuation. The Teams are equipped with basic warning equipments such as hand
Siren and Megaphones and one Transistor radio to receive meteorological information and
cyclone warning signal bulletin transmitted by Radio Bangladesh. The Volunteers are selected
by the villagers using a clearly defined set of criteria. The activities of the Volunteers are
supported by 30 full time Assistant Directors based in 30 different Thanas. Each Thana has an
office equipped with a Transceiver Radio. Between the cyclone seasons, the Assistant Directors
conduct training sessions for the Volunteers.
The Thana office’s work is assisted and supervised by 6 (six) Zonal Deputy Directors. Each
Zone has a permanent office situated in the district level.
6. OPERATIONAL METHOD :
The CPP Dhaka office, located in the BDRCS National HQ. Compound, receives, special
weather bulletins containing cyclone warning signals from the Bangladesh Meteorological
Department as soon as a depression is formed in the bay of Bengal. The information is
transmitted to the 6 Zonal Officers and the 30 Thana level Officers over HF Radio. The Asstt.
Directors, in turn, pass it to Unions through VHF Radio. Where VHF Radio has not yet been
installed the message is passed on by a messenger. The Union Team Leaders contact the Unit
Team Leaders immediately. The unit Team Leaders with his Volunteers spread out in the
villages and disseminate the Cyclone warnings, almost door to door, using megaphones, hand
sirens and public address system. The Team Leaders at the same time keep track of the
approaching Cyclone by listening to national radio broadcasts over the transistor radio. The
Team Leaders are thus alerted and start work without lossing of time. The Volunteers keep on
announcing the special weather bulletins on patterns of the approaching cyclone.
When situation turns serious, the GOB passes order for evacuation. The Volunteers implement
the order and advise and help people in taking shelter in cyclone shelters or other available safe
places.
When the cyclone is over, the volunteers rescue the injured and marooned people, provide First
Aid to the injured, send the serious cases to the local hospitals, and assist in the post-cyclone
emergency relief operation.
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