THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Whether it’s flood or fire, it’s the state Fire and Rescue Services that rushes to the front to deal with crises. However, the Fire and Rescue Services personnel do so by risking their lives as, let alone the sophisticated equipment, they even don’t have adequate basic tools to deal with contingencies. Sample this. In Thiruvananthapuram station, which caters to several vital installations in the state capital, there are only five wireless sets available to facilitate communication.
That means the bulk of interaction among officials happens over mobile phones. While operating in distant places where there are connectivity issues or when attending to a disaster in a place where hundreds of people have turned up, mobile phones can turn dud and hamper their rescue work.
A senior official told Express that, apart from communication devices, there is a dearth of basic rescue equipment like cutting saws and rubber dinghies and that is affecting their operation ability. “We are at least 15 years behind,” said the official while asked about the sophistication level his department has risen to. “Since Director General A Hemachandran took over, there has been efforts to upgrade the facilities. But we are still years behind,” sources added.
In a bid to spruce up infrastructure, the department has decided to purchase more than 300 cutting saws. But sources said the department needs to do more than that.“Purchasing cutting saws is a good move. But a lot more work needs to be done to modernise the department,” he added. More hydraulic tools, including shears and rams, need to be purchased in large number to deal with vehicle crashes.
Hemachandran, meanwhile, said due attention has been given to address the shortcomings. “Modernisation was a neglected area before. Now it has changed and there is more focuss on addressing the shortcomings,” he added.