E-Paper
In Prayagraj district, Agni Suraksha Mitra to help fire dept in 23 blocks
These Agni Suraksha Mitra will help in case of fire incidents in their areas and also strive to prevent fire breakouts.
After fire audits, the fire department will now form fire safety friends or ‘agni suraksha mitra’ in 23 development blocks of the district. WhatsApp groups of 100 fire safety friends will be formed in each block. These friends will help in case of fire incidents in their areas and also strive to prevent fire breakouts.
Besides city areas, fire incidents in rural areas have played havoc during the last few years. Due to fire in fields, crops worth several lakhs have been gutted. Although the fire department teams reached the spot in all incidents, the fire had spread to a larger area and destroyed crops.
In a bid to take immediate action in case of fire incidents and control it before it can spread, fire department officials are now taking concrete steps.
Chief fire officer Dr RK Pandey said fire stations in rural areas take immediate action in case of emergency. However, due to long distances in rural areas and absence of exact location of the incident, fire often caused much destruction. Fire department will now make Fire Safety Friends or ‘Agni Suraksha Mitra’ in each block of the district.
Fire department staff has been asked to approach people and make them aware of the causes of fire and how to prevent them.
Hundred fire safety friends will be added in WhatsApp groups in 23 blocks of the district. People who will be added as fire safety friends will include block employees, anganwadi workers, social activists, village heads, prominent persons, socially active youth and students. It will be verified that such people are not addicted to alcohol etc and have a good image in their areas.
Fire safety friends will be provided three days of primary training on how to react in case of any fire incident in the fields or buildings in the villages. They will be trained on how to contain fire and start rescue operations till firefighters reach the spot.
The training will be given by fire fighters at the fire stations in rural areas where a monthly meeting will also be held.
A central meeting at the fire station in the city will also be held with fire safety friends in coming months and more training will be given to them for better results. Through WhatsApp groups, the fire department will remain in contact with each village and will get help in tracing the exact location of the incident spot, the CFO added.
Fire officers have also been asked to identify fire hotspots and vulnerable places and buildings in the city and rural areas of the district. Fire officers will visit schools, commercial buildings and hospitals and will create awareness.
