India News | Delhi Home Minister Sood Asks Fire Dept Officials to Expedite Summer Action Plan
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. Delhi Home Minister Ashish Sood on Friday directed the Fire department officials to expedite implementation of an action plan in view of tendency of rise in fire incidents during summer.
New Delhi, May 23 (PTI) Delhi Home Minister Ashish Sood on Friday directed the Fire department officials to expedite implementation of an action plan in view of tendency of rise in fire incidents during summer.
The minister in a meeting with the officials of Delhi Fire Services (DFS) also directed them to prepare a strategic plan for the next 15 to 20 years, considering the city's growing population and urban needs.
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Sood directed DFS Director Atul Garg to study the fire service models of other states and submit a report to incorporate best practices and advanced technologies into DFS, said a Delhi government statement.
He asked the director to expedite the implementation of the summer action plan, as fire incidents tend to increase during the summer in Delhi.
Sood stressed the need for continuous readiness and identifying causes of fire and educating the public on basic fire safety measures, the statement said.
"Special emphasis must be placed on deploying smaller fire vehicles for congested areas and busy markets to ensure swift access during fire emergencies. There is a need for a rapid response mechanism to minimise casualties during fire incidents," he said.
The DFS officers were directed to launch an extensive awareness campaign in Delhi's schools and residential colonies to spread fire prevention awareness among citizens, it said.
Sood said that detailed deliberations took place on the administrative and financial aspects of the Delhi Fire Services as well as the need to increase manpower.
He informed that steps are being taken to equip the service with modern technology and to procure new fire engines. These vehicles will include a mix of indigenous and foreign technology.
The minister said that 17 new water bowsers, 4 aerial water towers and 24 quick response vehicles to the fire brigade fleet were added recently to modernise the DFS.
The director of DFS said the city currently has 65 fire stations, 311 fire units and a workforce of 2,420 personnel.
Efforts are underway to reduce the working hours of staff to enhance efficiency and performance, he added. PTI VIT
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)