MARGAO: The Shadow Council for Margao wants all the heads of government departments to conduct a mandatory fire audit of their premises.
Highlighting the glaring fire threat to practically every government building in the city, SCM Convenor Savio Coutinho stated that every government building, including the Margao Municipal Council building, is vulnerable to serious fire threat resulting in severe loss of property and important records in the various offices in the city.
“In the absence of any fire fighting equipment and basic fire fighting training, in the event of any incident of fire, the entire office along with important records will not take time to get reduced into ashes,” he stated.
Pointing out that Margao Municipal Council makes it mandatory for all commercial establishments to obtain NOC from the fire department, he said the MMC too should realise that its own premises are also unsafe as far as fire fighting capabilities are concerned.
“Incidentally, the building has all material which is highly flammable, including the wooden flooring, and considering the papers and files lying all over haphazardly, a fire incident could be devastating to the Council building,” he warned.
The SCM will be writing to the District Collector demanding a mandatory fire audit of all government/public offices in the city. Emphasising the need for training the government staff in using fire fighting equipment and participating in fire drills, Coutinho said that a fire audit shall not only spell out fire safety provisions and equipment but also provide periodic inspection and training to the staff on the immediate measures needed to control the fire from spreading.
“We have seen and heard of fire incidents in several government and public offices wherein important documents and files were destroyed in the fire. As such it would be prudent to take necessary measures to be well equipped to tackle such incidents of Fire,” Savio said.
