Management and staff of Embudu Village have completed an intensive training course on maritime safety and disaster management preparedness, including fire and rescue and first aid training.

The 12-day course, which was conducted late last month by experts from Coastguard and National Disaster Management Centre on Embudu island, was aimed at achieving two purposes: to help resort staff improve their knowledge, skills and ability to respond to maritime disasters and accidents; and to better understand and prepare for potential disasters, including developing a detailed disaster management plan for the resort.

According to Embudu, some 90 employees were involved in all the training modules.

“The safety of our guests and our staff is paramount. so we place a lot of emphasis on training to ensure that, should disaster ever strike, our staff would know what to do,” Ramsey Perera, General Manager of Embudu Village, was quoted in a statement, as saying.

The maritime safety part of the course included intensive instruction on maritime rules and regulations, safe navigation, seamanship, search and rescue, and first aid.

The disaster management aspect of the course included training on potential risks in the Maldives, constructing temporary shelters after a natural disaster, putting in place an emergency management structure after a disaster, evacuation plans and tourist safety.

The first aid course included training in basic first aid skills focusing on scene assessment, recognition of responsiveness and skills to effectively perform first aid on the ground. First squad training, which was conducted by the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), focused on practical and theoretical aspects of first safety.

Located in South Male Atoll and accessible by a 15-minute speedboat ride from the main Velana International Airport, Embudu is one of the first resorts that opened in the Maldives, and offers 106 superior rooms and water bungalows. The resort features a restaurant and a bar. Guests can enjoy various activities in the surroundings, including diving, snorkelling, windsurfing and diving.