BHUBANESWAR: The Directorate of Fire and Emergency Services has requested the state government to set up a dedicated fire unit comprising 11 officers and personnel on the premises of Orissa High Court.
In a letter to the additional chief secretary, Home department, DG Fire Services Sudhanshu Sarangi said the fire safety measures were reviewed in detail during discussion with the High Court’s Building Committee in September last year.
The committee had asked the directorate to mobilise a permanent team along with a fire tender engine inside the court premises. As per the direction of the court, a temporary fire outpost is currently operating on the High Court’s premises by diverting manpower from nearby fire stations in Cuttack, Bidanasi, Baranga, Tangi-Choudwar and Chauliaganj.
However, the diversion has depleted the overall strength of these fire stations and is affecting response to emergency situations. Noting that the High Court houses irreplaceable judicial records, historical case files and confidential documents accumulated over decades, Sarangi stressed the need to sanction manpower for setting up a dedicated unit on the court premises.
“A fire incident may result in permanent loss of these irreplaceable documents, causing serious legal and administrative consequences. On every working day, the High Court campus is occupied by judges, judicial officers, advocates, government officials, court employees, litigants and members of the public,” Sarangi stated.
He underlined that the high footfall necessitated immediate fire response and evacuation capability. “Fire emergencies can occur at any time. The existing sanctioned strength of nearby fire stations is insufficient to sustain such deployment,” Sarangi added.
The directorate has requested the government to create 11 additional posts in Bidanasi fire station for mobilising them on the premises of the High Court. The new posts comprise one assistant station officer, leading firefighter and firefighting driver each and eight firefighters.
The Bidanasi fire station currently has two leading firefighters, one firefighting driver and 10 firefighters.