THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In the aftermath of the Brahmapuram fire, the Fire and Rescue Services has asked the state government to conduct monthly medical screening of all its personnel and volunteers who took part in the fire-dousing operations at the Brahmapuram waste treatment plant.
The proposal has been moved by Fire and Rescue Services Director General DGP B Sandhya to monitor the health of the firefighters for one year. Dousing the fire from the smouldering waste was a herculean task accomplished by the Fire and Rescue Department, which had deployed around 1,400 of its men from across the state.
The total strength of the force comes to around 4,000- plus and about one-third of the total manpower was used to fight the fire and subsequent emission of toxic smoke from the dumping yard. “I am doing my job as the DG of the institution by requesting the government to monitor the health of the personnel. I was worried about their health when they were posted for duty at Brahmapuram,” she said.
The proposal came close on the heels of medical experts issuing a warning that exposure to toxic gas might have long-lasting health implications. Meanwhile, the Fire and Rescue Services have decided to give Good Service Entry (GSE) to all the firefighters, who took part in Brahmapuram operations. The department has also requested the state government to sanction funds to purchase fire-fighting robots and drones to deal with similar emergencies if they arise.