RAWALPINDI, Oct 23: The Civil Defence authorities have urged the government to properly equip the department so that it could properly respond to any crisis.

District Officer Civil Defence, Rawalpindi, Raja Liaquat told this reporter that they had no tools, no emergency kits and no vehicles to cope with any disaster like the October 8 quake that flattened a swathe of northern Pakistan.

The official said during a recent high level meeting with the military authorities he had brought them in picture about the problems of the department but it cut no ice with them. He said at present the department had a strength of 15 personnel equipped with some spades and pieces of rope.