The Pilerne fire station came into existence on August 13, 2011 and has since rendered a commendable service to the residents of Bardez. It is equipped with a fire tender of 4,500 litres carrying capacity, a quick-response vehicle, a crane and 26 employees.
The fire station receives an average of 350 calls per year. From September 2011 till July 2015, it received 1,300 calls. During this period, property worth Rs 3.70 crore was lost in fire accidents. However, the fire team saved property worth Rs.69.42 crore.
The staff faces many hardships at night as there is no canteen facility. They are required to perform 24-hours duty; personnel who join duty at 11 am get relieved at 11 am the next day. While they bring their lunch from home, subsequent meals are a problem.
Senior Pilerne fire station officer Namdev Dhargalker stated that as soon as they receive a call about fire, a fire tender and six or seven fire-fighters are dispatched to the site. After assessing the situation, they call for more fire tenders from Mapusa or Panjim, depending on the urgency. When the road is narrow, they find it difficult to reach the site. In such a situation, they make use of the quick-response vehicle.
Dhargalker mentioned that most fire accidents took place due to a short circuit. He said, “People do not bother to replace old wiring in their houses. The wiring needs to be changed after certain years as a precaution. Negligence of the residents is also one of the causes of fire. Most people keep the knobs of their gas cylinders opened even when they go out. The knobs should be closed when it’s not in use. Gas leakages are responsible for many fire accidents.
He further said, “During the monsoons, Pilerne fire station also receives many non-fire emergency calls, such as trees falling on houses and roads. Being vast in area, it becomes very difficult for Porvorim, Saligao and Calangute constituencies to attend to two calls simultaneously due to limited infrastructure.”
Regarding the fire station’s problems, Dhargalker said the main problem is that of water. He stated, “Although the government has set up the fire station close to the Industrial Estate on Saligao plateau, it has not made any arrangement for a separate water pipeline. The fire station receives tap water for hardly one hour per day. It has to send its fire tender to Mapusa fire station for water, which consumes lot of time. The government should provide a separate water pipeline for Pilerne fire station.
Meanwhile, Tourism Minister and Saligao MLA Dilip Parulekar stated that the Pilerne fire station’s problems of lack of water and kitchen facilities are genuine. He said he would discuss the matter with the fire station in-charge and then take it up with Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar.
