61 Volunteer Teams — Including Two from China — Participate in CERT Challenge 2025

By Farzana Chaudhry – Lahore, Pakistan

LAHORE: Provincial Minister for Emergency Services, Khawaja Salman Rafiq, inaugurated the International Volunteer Day CERT Challenge 2025 at the Emergency Services Academy in Lahore, welcoming Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) from educational institutions, industrial sectors, and union councils across Pakistan, as well as two volunteer teams from China.

He said the purpose of hosting the CERT Challenge is to strengthen community-level emergency preparedness, response and prevention, while motivating top-performing volunteers serving in their communities in Pakistan and the wider region.

The Minister appreciated Secretary Emergency Services Dr. Rizwan Naseer and his team for successfully organizing the international event. He said that under the leadership of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, emergency services are being modernised, with Rescue 1122 delivering exemplary performance in firefighting, emergency response and patient transfer. He added that during the 2025 floods, rescuers worked tirelessly in harsh conditions to safely move affected families to secure locations.

Highlighting the importance of volunteerism, Khawaja Salman Rafiq said volunteers are the true strength of society, and noted that the Rescue Academy continues to train personnel from Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Sindh, Punjab and Azad Kashmir to strengthen emergency services nationwide. He also shared that the Punjab government will soon launch an internship programme for students in Rescue 1122, while initiatives such as the Air Ambulance Service, expansion of the Motorway Ambulance Service and procurement of new ambulances have significantly enhanced the operational capacity of the Punjab Emergency Service (PES).

Secretary Emergency Services Dr. Rizwan Naseer congratulated the CERT teams representing their districts, institutions and regions after winning local-level competitions. He said the mission of the Emergency Service is to ensure at least one trained lifesaver in every home, enabling immediate lifesaving action in cases such as cardiac arrest and critical emergencies.

He noted that Rescue 1122 has so far provided emergency services to over 19 million victims, responded to more than 277,000 fire incidents, and saved property worth over Rs. 760 billion through professional firefighting. Highlighting the alarming frequency of traffic accidents—one every minute—he said motorcycle-related incidents account for over 75% of cases. During the event, he administered an oath to volunteers, pledging not to exceed 50 km/h on motorcycles and to ride safely on the left side of the road.

Dr. Amara Khan, Head of the World Food Programme’s Provincial Office, said she was honoured to join the opening ceremony, praising the passion of volunteers from Pakistan and China. She commended the Punjab government and organisers for creating a platform that strengthens volunteer skills, coordination and teamwork. Reflecting on WFP and Rescue 1122’s joint efforts during the 2022 floods, she highlighted the effective delivery of food, hygiene supplies and relief items to remote areas of Sindh using Punjab’s rescue boats.

The CERT Challenge 2025 will continue from December 1 to 5 at the Emergency Services Academy, featuring 61 Community Emergency Response Teams from across Pakistan along with two teams from China. Participants will demonstrate disaster response capabilities, including multi-casualty management, search and rescue techniques, lifesaving interventions, firefighting operations and water rescue skills.