Karachi, Pakistan.
In every emergency. whether it is a fire, a traffic accident, a flood, or a sudden collapse, one truth remains constant: the first person to respond is rarely a professional rescuer. It is almost always a neighbor, a passerby, a shopkeeper, or a family member. While ambulances and government teams play an essential role, they often arrive minutes after the critical moment. This reality highlights a powerful lesson in disaster preparedness: communities must be trained to act before help arrives.
The concept of the “Golden Minutes” in emergency response teaches us that the first five to ten minutes can determine whether a life is saved or lost. In cities like Karachi, where traffic congestion, urban sprawl, and delayed access affect rescue timelines, local responders become the true lifeline. Professional teams may be trained, but proximity belongs to the people.
As BREDO’s General Secretary, Mr. Ali Sohaib, who also serves as a trained rescuer, explains:
“In any crisis, the community is the first responder, not the system. We must empower people before we expect them to call for help.”
Why Local Responders Act First
Proximity Before Protocol | Ambulances follow established routes, traffic protocols, and dispatch procedures. A neighbor hears the scream instantly. A shopkeeper sees the accident unfold. These ordinary individuals are physically closest and therefore act first. |
Emotional Instinct | Before any official siren is heard, human instinct drives immediate action. Parents rush to children, citizens gather to lift debris, and bystanders attempt basic rescue. This instinct needs to be strengthened with knowledge, not discouraged by fear. |
System Delays in Urban Areas In major cities of Pakistan, emergency vehicles often struggle due to: | Traffic jams Narrow streets Incorrect addresses Unavailable responders in peak hours |
This gap between calling for help and receiving it is where trained community responders can save lives.
A Real Urban Reality
During a recent fire incident in Karachi’s informal housing settlement, it was not fire trucks or ambulances that began the rescue. It was the residents who carried buckets of water, evacuated children, and calmed the chaos. They had no uniform, no badge, but their actions prevented a tragedy from becoming a catastrophe. Only after nearly 20 minutes did official help arrive. Such stories are not exceptional; they are the rule.
From Witnesses to Responders: The Need for Training
Communities often witness emergencies every day yet remain untrained. What if these same people were equipped with just basic emergency skills?
Essential training for civilians should include |
| First Aid & CPR |
| Fire Safety and Evacuation |
| Bleeding Control & Triage |
| Search and Rescue Awareness |
| Psychological First Aid |
By providing these skills, we turn bystanders into capable protectors.
Youth and Women: The Untapped Frontline
| Youth | Woman |
| Young people are energetic, tech-savvy, and fast-moving. In emergencies, they climb, run, and coordinate. Their potential is unmatched, but only if trained. | Women are central to family safety. They manage children, elders, and households. When women are trained in disaster response, entire families become resilient. Their inclusion is not a gender issue; it is a survival strategy. |
Local NGOs and the Responsibility to Prepare Communities
Organizations like BREDO and others working on disaster risk reduction must prioritize community-based training instead of awareness alone. Posters do not save lives; skills do. Humanitarian frameworks such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction emphasize: “All disasters begin and end locally.” This means governments can plan, but communities must prepare.
Gap Between Policy and Action
While national disaster authorities create policies, urban streets require practical action: |
| Community training hubs |
| Local emergency committees |
| Simulation drills |
| Neighborhood volunteer networks |
Without these systems, policies stay on paper while people remain unprepared.
Why Community Response Must Be Institutionalized
| Faster than ambulances |
| More emotionally invested |
| Permanently present in the community |
| Able to act in multiple disasters (fire, flood, accidents) |
Building a Culture of Preparedness
Resilience is not built in crisis, it is built before crisis. A truly resilient city is not one with more ambulances, but one with more trained citizens. The day every street has trained volunteers is the day disaster response truly begins at the heart of communities. As Ali Sohaib strongly advocates:
“If every citizen learns to become a first responder, we will not wait for sirens to save lives; our communities will.”
Conclusion
Local responders are not in competition with official rescue systems; they are the foundation. Empowering communities is not optional; it is essential. We cannot change the time an ambulance takes, but we can change what happens before it arrives. A safer society begins when ordinary citizens are trained to do extraordinary things.
Published by:
BREDO
