More than 700 lives have been lost in the last decade owing to nearly 30,000 fire incidents, a recent report by the Assam State Fire Service Organization (ASFSO) said. The dismal condition of the state fire and emergency services, with few fire stations and manpower shortage has been implicated in the rise of such incidents in the state.
The report said, “The fire service department across the state has responded to at least 30,263 fire calls since 2005. The number of major fires in the timeframe was over 5,000. At least 721 people died in fire accidents between 2005 and August 2015.”
Fire safety guidelines stipulate one fire station every 10 square kilometres in urban areas and one every 50 square kilometres in rural areas. By this estimate, the state requires about 1,400 fire stations but has only 117.”Though the department has been equipped with updated technology support, shortage of personnel and unscientific construction in urban areas has added to the woes. The city needs dedicated water outlets for emergency fire services at vulnerable points. Such a mechanism is a distant dream here,” a top official said.
ASFSO has been upgraded over the years. Equipment like water mist and firefighting system, motorcycle mounted inflatable emergency lighting system, breathing apparatus set, high pressure breathing air compressor machine, fire entry suit and smoke exhauster have been put in place.
