<![CDATA[Disasters can have catastrophic effects on communities, particularly when residents are inadequately prepared to recognise hazards and respond effectively. Within the penta-helix framework, communities are key stakeholders in disaster preparedness. Community participation can be strengthened through community disaster-preparedness volunteers, locally referred to as cadres, who represent local needs and support preparedness and response activities. Capacity-building for these volunteers should include hazard recognition, self-rescue, first aid, and victim evacuation. This community engagement programme aimed to strengthen the capacity of disaster-preparedness groups to recognise hazards, perform self-rescue, provide emergency first aid, and evacuate victims. The pre- and post-training knowledge assessment showed a marked shift: responses classified as poor decreased from 80.0% to 17.3%, whereas responses classified as good increased from 20.0% to 82.7%. Effective disaster management requires well-trained community personnel and strong intersectoral coordination and communication through community-based networks. Continuous and recurrent training should therefore be incorporated into routine supervision and development, with subsequent programmes addressing more advanced and diverse competencies.]]>
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