Goa to be made a model state in fire, emergency services: CM

NT NETWORK
Posted on 2009-01-22
PANAJI - Promising to turn the state into a model in fire and emergency services and provide state of the art protective equipment to firemen the Chief Minister, Mr Digambar Kamat on Wednesday said that the fire services should be upgraded on par with other terror fighting agencies.
“Our population is small and it has two districts and only eleven talukas so it can be nursed easily,” he said.
He was speaking as the chief guest of the one day All India Fire Chiefs’ conference on ‘Vision 2020- Fire Safe India’ organised by the Director General Civil Defence (fire cell) Union ministry of home affairs, and the state directorate of Fire and Emergency Services, at Dona Paula.
The participants held discussion on imparting specialised training with total syllabus in fire fighting. Discussions were also held on upgrading equipment like integrated communication system with command vehicles along with other agencies, recommending bulletproof jackets and arms during action, and participating in all policy making bodies for both external and internal levels of crisis management, the deputy fire advisor, Union ministry of home affairs, Mr D K Shami told ‘The Navhind Times’.
The recent Mumbai terrorist attacks and the heavy challenges experienced and tackled by the Mumbai fire and rescue services, specialised training and R 7D support for multi hazard responding fire and rescue services, response management by fire and rescue services - the multi hazard first responders - pro active and reactive stages and enlistment of fire safety and fire prevention subjects under concurrent list and human resources development and capacity building for upgradation of operational standards were also discussed and deliberated on.
Mr Shami informed that these recommendations would be forwarded to the sub- committee at the Centre and are expected to yield results within the next six months. The joint chief fire officer, Mumbai Fire Brigade, Mr P D Karguppikar spoke on the Mumbai Taj fire during the recent terrorist attack and pointed out that its unique interior design saved the iconic heritage hotel. He suggested many measures for the fire fighters evolved out of Mumbai terror attack.
The fire advisor to the Union government, Mr Om Prakash Bhagat and former fire advisor, Mr G B Menon, also spoke. Earlier the director, Fire and Emergency Services, Mr Ashok Menon welcomed and Mr Rajendra Haldankar proposed the vote of thanks.