Fire services department to tackle natural disasters too

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Fire Service Department is taking several significant steps towards transforming itself as a full-fledged disaster management system to play a key role in conducting rescue operations in times of natural disasters and accidents besides regular fire fighting activities.

Highlights:

• Director General of AP Disaster Response and Fire Services K Satyanarayana taking several significant steps to move the department rapidly towards disaster management as per needs of new state
• The department is also providing best services to people, including rescuing kids who fall into borewell pits and rivers
• A new temporary training institute to be set up in Sattenapalle of Guntur district

The department is now saying proudly that every complaint regarding calamities coming their way. Director General of AP Disaster Response and Fire Services K Satyanarayana is taking several significant steps to move the department rapidly towards disaster management as per needs of new state by procuring adequate equipment and imparting skill to its staff to conduct rescue operations despite dearth of funds in the present budget.

Speaking to The Hans India, the DG said the department was actively building its capacities to help people in times of natural calamities such as floods, cyclones and accidents like road and rail accidents and building collapses etc. The department is also providing best services to people, including rescuing kids who fall into bore well pits and rivers.

Explaining about the latest progress in the department, Satyanarayan said sophisticated equipment was also being provided to the staff to use in the rescue operations. “The department is procuring five ‘first rescue and response vehicles’ with all equipments such as jumping nets, throw balls and breath operations sets (BA sets), thermal images cameras and first aid kits within one month.

The vehicles will play key role in rescue people who drown into rivers and are trapped in heavy smoke during fire accidents and other calamities and accidents” he said. The vehicles will be provided to five districts initially and given to remaining district in phased manner.

Besides, 25 station fire officers (SFO) were sent to CISF Academy in Hyderabad for 50-day training on first aid treatment. Another 50 officers are on training for two months on conducting rescue operations in sea as Andhra Pradesh is having above 900 km of costal line.

“We will train all staff in phased manner on conducting rescue operation using sophisticated equipment following effective methods” the DG said. Mean while a new temporary training institute will be set up in Sattenapalle of Guntur district while new fire stations will also be set up in Kukkunur of West Godavari district, Darsi of Prakasam district and Kunavaram in East Godavari district soon. The department will also recruit 55 drivers too.