Vijayawada: AP Fire Service Department is undertaking a fire risk analysis with Institute of Public Enterprise (IPE) to identify all places vulnerable to fire mishaps, so that it can accordingly gear up its personnel and equipment to deal with fires in the state.
Since past 10 days, fires in the state have risen from 20 to 30 to 60. They may further go up to 160–170 during peak summer in April and May, as has been the case earlier. Fire service authorities have come up with a series of initiatives this summer to fight the fires.
One of them is availing services of IPE to prepare a fire analysis report over 45 days’ time during summers. The organisation will study all places and institutions vulnerable to fire mishaps, like industrial estates, commercial complexes, petrol and LPG bunks, office complexes, gated communities, government and private buildings, residential and non-residential buildings and godowns, where flammable materials are stored.
IPE will make an assessment on chances and intensity of fire mishaps at such places. It will come up with a series of recommendations on how to mitigate fire mishaps and fight them.
Fire service personnel are being trained online with voice and video presentations, which they can access either on their mobiles or systems available in their offices while not on fire call duty.
The training programme comprises various modules on situations of fire mishaps, their handling in industrial establishments, multi-storied residential complexes and commercial establishments, dealing with hazardous materials, and so on.
This way fire personnel will have knowledge of materials and fire-fighting equipment to be used with prime objective of avoiding loss to life and property.
Fire services director general N. Sanjay has called for a comparative study on best practices being adopted by other states in the country on how to deal with fire mishaps. There will also be study tours, so that suitable practices could be adopted for AP.
Telangana government is also taking up a similar exercise to revamp its fire service department. It is even going for changes in the Fire Services Act, 1991 and legislate the same during the ongoing budget session of TS Legislative Assembly.
AP fire safety experts suggest that AP government too must have a comprehensive legislation by making changes in the AP Fire Services Act, 1991. The state should further revamp the department with regard to its personnel and equipment for dealing with fires in a more efficient manner and safeguard people and properties.
Regional fire officer G. Srinivasulu said, “We will soon get a fire risk analysis report from IPE on all vulnerabilities and how efficiently we can tackle them. We will start implementing the recommendations forthwith.”
Firefighting equipment
> AP has a firefighting fleet of 313, including three hydraulic platforms – one measuring 90 metres tall in Visakhapatnam, another 55 metres turntable ladder in Vijayawada and third 54 metres in Tirupati.
> Though the sanctioned strength of fire personnel in AP is nearly 3,000, there are presently only 2,000 of them. However, authorities have roped in 625 home guards and are availing their services for fire-fighting.
