ICARE CENTER. The second Iloilo City Action and Response (ICARE) center opens in Barangay Balantang in Jaro district on Feb. 4, 2022. The city government is planning to open more centers to be able to serve the emergency needs of city residents. (Photo screengrab from Iloilo City FB live stream)
ILOILO CITY – The local government here announced on Tuesday that the second Iloilo City Action and Response (ICARE) center in Barangay Balantang in Jaro District is ready to serve surrounding communities after its inauguration on February 4.
“This is very strategic in the sense that it will cover barangays, which are in Jaro and will be able to cater to the needs of our constituents along those areas,” said Mayor Jerry P. Treñas, in a virtual press conference on Tuesday.
The first center was established in Barangay Calumpang in Molo District that was inaugurated in November last year.
The mayor said similar center is being constructed in Barangay Ungka, Jaro while similar facilities will be built in Barangay Nabitasan, La Paz; Barangay Esperanza, City Proper; Barangay Sooc, Arevalo; and Megaworld in Mandurriao.
The ICARE centers cater to calls for assistance such as trauma cases, vehicular accidents, medical emergencies, and even transport of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) patients.
Each center has an ambulance being backed up by the emergency operations center.
City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) head Donna Magno said the satellite centers are a big help because the operations are already downloaded to the district level and they no longer have to rely on their resources at the emergency operations center.
“We can count on the barangays in the district to help us out,” she said during the same virtual presser.
The satellite centers are connected to the command center that is about to be completed at the Gaisano Iloilo City Center (ICC) along Diversion Road in Mandurriao district and the emergency operations center at the motor pool.
The system works in such a way that emergency calls will be connected to the command center for dispatch to the closest satellite or they can directly call to the nearest ICARE center using their available hotlines.
“As early as last year we already made purchases for our emergency telecommunications network as part of improving the equipment within our emergency operations center. These equipment will also be used in our ICARE centers,” said Magno. (PNA)
