India, April 2 -- The Gautam Budh Nagar district authorities are pushing a community-led preparedness model that trains residents - especially women - to act as first responders during emergencies, officials said on Wednesday.

Officials said recent district-level training initiatives, conducted in collaboration with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), are focusing on equipping local communities with life-saving skills such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), basic life support (BLS), fire safety and evacuation protocols.

A key focus of the programme has been the 'Aapda Sakhi' model, which aims to train women from self-help groups to take up lead roles during disasters. "Women at the grassroots are often the first to respond...