Fire Services Week opens

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, APRIL 14. An exhibition at the NTR check-in area of the Hyderabad international airport, squad drill and demonstration of rescue equipment as well as of portable extinguishers by the Fire Service department of the Airports Authority of India marked the opening of the Fire Service Week here on Saturday.

`Hot fire drill' and rescue from aircraft were also organised by the staff to mark the week which is being observed from April 13 to 19. The department, led by Mr.S.Shankar Gopal, Manager (fire), has 77 personnel, who work round the clock on three shifts.

Mr .R. P. Singh, Additional General Manager, Air Traffic Control, Mr.P.Venkateswar, Regional Fire Officer (Incharge) of the State Fire Services department, and Mr.C.Lakshmi Prasad, Divisional Fire Officer, witnessed the activities. Three Czeck-made fire- fighting vehicles -- used in the rescue work after the Indian Airlines plane crash at the Patna Airport -- were involved in the demonstrations. Each vehicle costs Rs.44 lakhs.

Later Mr. Shankar Gopal told presspersons that awareness programmes like lectures on fire prevention and safety were being organised during the week. He said donations were collected during the day (April 14) from various air passengers and contributed to the Fire Services Benevolent Fund. The fund is used for the welfare of disabled firemen and the family members of staff killed in action.

He said the aim of motivating the staff was that they should remain ever alert, as the response time for them during a mishap was only two minutes. Their basic goal was to rescue passengers followed by fire-fighting. To achieve this the staff take part in `hotfire drill' once a month and everyday drill.

Mr. Shankar Gopal said the department was going in for a new fleet. Each vehicle would cost Rs.2.25 crores. The fleet was expected to be in place during the next two years.

Ceremonial parade

At the Fire Services Week observed by the State department, Mr.S.S.P.Yadav, Director-General, Fire Services, took the salute at the ceremonial parade organised at the Bharat Scouts and Guides grounds, Secunderabad. He released the posters brought out by the department to prevent fires.

In his address, Mr. Yadav praised the staff for their role in fire prevention and loss of property. He said the department's duty burden had increased after the passage of the AP Fire Services Act, 2000, which came into force from February this year. The week will conclude on April 20 with a demonstration at Taj Krishna on fire-fighting and rescue.

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