The Traffic police, in association with the Kerala Government Medical Officers Association, have launched an emergency life support training programme aimed at equipping police officers to act as trained first responders during road accidents and rescue missions.
The project, which commenced at the Kozhikode City police headquarters training centre on Wednesday (November 5), is expected to cover at least two police officers from all police stations across the State in multiple phases with the support of district-level resource persons. Later, these trained officers will be inducted as master trainers for coordinating various public training sessions.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Arun K. Pavithran inaugurated the first round of training session, which was presided over by Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic) L. Suresh Babu. Project coordinators said a panel of expert doctors in critical care would handle both the theoretical and practical lessons.
“The main objective is to build a community of confident and skilled first responders capable of providing immediate care to accident victims during the golden hour of intervention,” said Mr. Suresh Babu. He said the hands-on sessions would boost the confidence of participating officers and enhance their ability to manage emergencies effectively.
Some of the newly trained officers said a trained first responder would be able to make a crucial intervention in the first few minutes after an accident. They also observed that the latest move would not only strengthen the confidence of field-level officers but also inspire the public to learn life-saving techniques scientifically.
A police officer in charge of coordinating the project said the training would be held in batches to accommodate officers from various stations through coordinated duty arrangements. In the subsequent phase, proposals to train Student Police Cadets and other volunteering groups associated with the police would be considered.
The project was proposed considering the success of a previously launched flagship initiative named ANGELS (Active Network Group of Emergency Life Savers), which had transformed ambulance drivers into lifesavers in Kozhikode district. It was later expanded as a model initiative to the other parts of the State.
Sources with the city traffic said the project was proposed considering the high number of accident deaths. According to official figures from the State Crime Records Bureau, the State recorded 48,841 accidents in 2024, resulting in 3,714 fatalities. Two-wheeler riders topped the list of casualties with 1,470 deaths. In Kozhikode district alone, 315 persons died in over 4,900 road accidents.
Published – November 07, 2025 07:59 pm IST
