MANY thanks to the ancestors, Zimbabwe has been generously blessed with an unusually wet summer season. However, the abundant rains have also brought with them  floods and landslides. The Department of Civil Protection (DCP) has mobilised and is on high alert to handle any rain-related emergencies and possible flooding, especially in the downstream areas of the now spilling Tugwi-Mukosi, the largest inland lake. It is encouraging to learn that the DCP requested a helicopter from the Air Force of Zimbabwe, which has been made available and put on standby to airlift any affected families as and when it is called upon to do so. The Air Force of Zimbabwe is commended for dispatching an Aloutte-3 helicopter to successfully rescue a mother and some of her daughters on January 8 who had been marooned in Mutirikwi River. However, the helicopter had to fly all the way from Josiah Tungamirai Air Force Base in Gweru, hundreds of kilometres away, highlighting the need to place, not one but several helicopters on standby in the flood prone areas so that one can be scrambled to attend to an emergency in the shortest possible time, or else we risk losing lives. Also our helicopters need to be upgraded with appropriate weather radars and relevant avionics so that they can perform search and rescue operations during the day and most important, at night and even in bad weather. For the Mutirikwi River rescue, the family spent the night marooned and could only be rescued the following day , over 24 hours later largely because our helicopter had to wait for daylight  the next day and fair weather before flying to Chiredzi to undertake the rescue. Looking into the near future, the entire fleet of Aloutte-3 helicopters needs to be retired and replaced  funds permitting in a year or two. Personnel to carry out search and rescue missions need to be adequately trained and the equipment required to effectively and safely carry out such rescues should be procured. Such personnel and their relevant gear need to be camped in the disaster prone areas for the duration of the rainy season: ready to respond to emergencies and prepared to save precious lives. Cassius Sande