CUTTACK: With rapid industrialisation and fast-paced urbanisation, fire, safety and disaster management has assumed relevance. There is, however, an acute dearth of trained personnel in the country to shoulder the responsibilities.
With increasing emphasis on inculcating safety mechanism and inducting trained personnel in all major establishments both in the Government and the private level, the Security Skills Council of India (SSCI) and the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) have announced the launch of an exclusive Post Graduate Diploma programme in Fire, Safety and Disaster Management. The programme, only of the kind in the State, would be offered by SSCI’s Regional Training Academy at Choudwar here.
Nowadays more and more organisations are realising the need of appointing safety personnel in their systems. The Delhi Fire Service has made it mandatory for all major establishments to have dedicated fire officers. In the present scenario, the country needs about 20,000 trained personnel every year and the number is rising, pro vice chancellor of IGNOU KR Srivathsan said while inaugurating the programme.
Most programmes currently available in the country are only related to fire and those go for them are matriculates and intermediates. The PG Diploma includes not only fire training but also all other aspects of safety and disaster management. Highrise buildings, hotels, hospitals, manufacturing facilities, retails and malls, petroleum and chemicals, ports and airports, highrise official and commercial complexes would be major recruiters.
The students would be provided with a stipend of Rs 8,000 per month from the first day of training and would be assured of a job after completing the course, Director, SSCI and former chief of Delhi Fire Service SK Dhei said. Among others, Director Rituraj Sinha was present.