Bangalore: In 2013, the fire department received 13,324 rescue/ fire calls, involving 69,119 properties and 49,423 were saved. Fire fighting officials also rescued 529 people.
On National Disaster Reduction Day on Monday, deputy director of Fire and Emergency Department D. Rashid said, “The fire department is facing a big challenge with the sudden increase in the number of high-rise buildings in the city.”
He said, “We are prepared to deal with any emergencies and have recently procured 54 aerial ladders. As majority of the operation are carried out outside a building, construction companies should have facilities for fire department personnel to make rescue operations possible.”
Rashid said, “As per the HC notification, the department has been conducting inspections at all high-rises once every 2 years. As of now, we have inspected 2,000 buildings for safety norms, and detected many violations. Buildings which have violated the norms have been served notices. The department has directed Bescom to disconnect power connection for serious violations.”
Rashid advised the public to be careful with LPG and electrical connections. “We have conducted many in-house exercises to create awareness and bring down accidents,” he said.
The department has adopted the latest mist technology, which reduces the use of water to fight fires. It has brought in additional water tankers, mobile equipment and rescue vans.
Personnel from the fire department, Karnataka civil defence and Karnataka Home Guards presented a demo on disaster management at Kanteerava Stadium. Special invitees included Gov H.R. Bhardwaj and Home minister K.J. George. Many schools and colleges took part in a rally to spread awareness on fire fighting.
