BHUBANESWAR: The Directorate of Fire and Emergency Services, Home Guards and Civil Defence has requested the state government to create Rs 1 crore revolving fund to equip rescue teams with basic relief materials to be given to people immediately after they are saved from disasters and emergencies.
In a letter to the additional chief secretary, Home department, DG Fire Services Sudhanshu Sarangi highlighted a gap in the state’s first-responder system.
He stated that while Fire and Emergency Services teams are the first to reach and save the people trapped in floods, cyclones, landslides and other disasters, the rescued individuals are often exhausted, thirsty or hungry and need immediate assistance like drinking water, biscuits, ready-to-eat food, oral rehydration salts, basic first-aid items or blankets before regular relief agencies arrive.
However currently, the Odisha Fire and Emergency Service has no dedicated allocation for stocking and carrying such low-cost essentials. “The proposed revolving fund, which will be placed at the disposal of DG Fire Service, will enable procurement and pre-positioning of these items at selected fire stations and response units, particularly in disaster-prone areas,” read the letter.
Sarangi said the teams can then carry limited quantities during operations and provide immediate help only to those they rescue or find in acute distress. The arrangement is not intended to replace the work of the district administration or the Revenue and Disaster Management department, nor will the Fire Service undertake general distribution of relief, the letter clarified.
Sarangi said the money will function as a revolving advance, expenditure will be properly accounted for, utilisation certificates submitted and the amount recouped so that it remains available for future emergencies.
The directorate suggested Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF) as a possible source, given its mandate to assist people affected by natural and man-made calamities.
Officials said the amount is modest as compared to the scale of Odisha’s disaster-response operations, yet it could deliver significant comfort at a critical moment as the rescue teams are often the first face of government a distressed person notices.
The proposal aims to strengthen an already well-regarded system by ensuring that rescue is followed by basic care until larger relief machinery takes over. The international disaster response practice also recognises the need to attend to the immediate basic needs of rescued and persons affected by a disaster, they added.
