18 Feb 2017  |   07:49pm IST

21 lives, 7.84 cr worth property saved in 45 days of new year

Team Herald

PANJIM: 

A whopping 7.84 crores worth property is been saved from fire in the first 45-odd days of the year along with saving 21 human lives by the Directorate of Fire & Emergency Services.

The department has now envisaged setting up of coastal fire stations for ensuring quicker response in the beach belts. These coastal stations will be integrated with the Multipurpose Cyclone Shelters which are being built under the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP) of Government of India with World Bank funding.

As per the data released by the department during its

29^th

 Annual Inspection Day Parade on Saturday, Rs 7.84 crore property is been saved from fire and other accidents, while the loss is estimated at Rs 1.87 crores.

 Since January 2017 till date, the department received 374 fire calls and 172 non-fire emergencies. During this period, it saved 21 lives from other accident, while lost five lives.

For the calendar year 2016,

property totaling Rs 183.48 crores was saved from fire and other accidents, the loss was calculated at 18.10 crores.

Addressing the function, director Ashok Menon said that the department has come a long way from total reliance on outmoded technology in the beginning. “We have been systematically integrating specialized equipments in fire fighting, life safety, search and rescue to make our capability to the rising complexities of urban life,” he said.

Menon informed that government has recently approved procurement of additional Turn Table Ladder of 32 meters for fire fighting and life rescue from high rise building in Margao. “We have also planned similar facility in phase manner for Vasco, Ponda and Mapusa,” he stated.

Speaking in the presence of Chief Secretary IAS Dharmendra Sharma, Director said government has approved proposal for re-designing and re-construction of existing building and additional construction of new administrative and training block at headquarters in Panjim.

The department has so far trained 3615 secondary school teachers from 2236 schools on fire safety awareness response skill. It also launched a new training programme on Safer School Safer India focusing on primary school students and from April 2015 till date, around 144 primary teachers from 77 schools have been trained. These teachers have trained over 11,300 children.