TDMMO- Dec 5, 2021

In a message on International Volunteer Day, TDMMO President congratulated all the volunteers in the field of disaster management, especially volunteers of Tehran neighborhood emergency response volunteer group (DAWAM).

The message reads: "The presence and role of volunteer citizens, especially in the form of community-based groups and playing a role in all areas of growth and development of societies, today has such an irreplaceable, prominent and high status that the success of any plan and development program is measured and evaluated with it. In the field of social programs in general and community resilience programs against incidents and disasters in particular, the involvement and participation of citizens in the form of community- based groups and organizations has been at the top of the priority list of development projects for many years.

Documentary researches and lessons learned in the field of disaster management have demonstrated that more than 80% of survivors in disasters, especially in earthquakes and floods, in the early hours had been survived by people presented at the scene. Therefore, the more citizens come together in the form of community- based disaster management groups and receive rescue and relief trainings, they can play more effective role in saving human lives specially in the golden time and early hours of occurrence of disaster and until presence of official rescuers who are usually far from the scene.

The presence of volunteers in our beloved country, relying on religious teachings and the values ​​of altruism and friendship, is rooted in the culture of our people and has a remarkable antiquity. Therefore, it should always be on top of the agenda to strengthen community- based groups and organizations and to increase public participation in the field of rescue and relief and even beyond that, to help them to play their role in implementing risk reduction programs and preventive plans in order to achieve a safe and resilient society and to complete this key circle of community-based disaster management which always should not be neglected. Congratulations to all the volunteers on the International Volunteer Day, which is an opportunity to remember human values ​​and honor the martyrs of this field