Spl fire stations in WB to handle terror attacks

WB government will set up All Hazard Fire Units to handle terror attacks following a Central directive to states.

The West Bengal government will set up All Hazard Fire Units to handle terror attacks following a Central directive to the states in the wake of the recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai and Kashmir.

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"The Centre has given a proposal for setting up All Hazard Fire Units. They will provide Rs 85 crore over four years in setting up the units," Fire Services Minister Pratim Chatterjee told newsmen in Kolkata.

Stressing the need for training fire service personnel in handling situations in which terrorists use biological and radioactive weapons, Chatterjee said he had approached the state Finance Department for permission in sending fire service officials to the US for training.

Stating that the Centre had directed the government to set up upgraded fire stations at 14 locations in the state, he said that a number of them were proposed to be set up in the maoist-infested western districts.

At present, there are 104 fire service stations in West Bengal.

While the state government had accepted most of the locations proposed by the Centre, it had identified some locations on its own for setting up the upgraded fire stations, Chatterjee said.