Recently, a gas leak was reported at a star hotel in the city. Cooking gas was leaking unabated from one of the two huge storage units and darkness had already set in.
A team of fire and rescue services personnel landed at the hotel. The gas smell was overpowering and there was also the threat of fire looming large.
A small spark from a mobile phone or a spark from an overheated engine of a passing vehicle could have led to a disaster.
But unperturbed, the team of officials and firemen patiently worked to stop the leak and after a long struggle of nearly 40 minutes they managed to do it.
“We should say that we were all lucky. Otherwise, I would not be alive to tell you the story,” a fireman said recalling his close shave.
Every call to 101 seeking succour comes with an element of risk to life and limbs of the firemen.
In another incident, when a two-storey building under construction collapsed in Chekkanoorani, five workers were caught under the debris.
Portions of the building were dangling precariously. The firemen faced the risk of further collapse of the building, yet, these brave men worked hard and pulled out the survivors.
From fire to rescue
Though the Department of Fire, as it was earlier known, was also taking up rescue operations, the change of its nomenclature to Department of Fire and Rescue in 2011, underlined its adaptation to the changing dynamics of challenges of natural calamities and man-made disasters.
These men are also deployed along with policemen at villages where clashes break out as a precautionary measure.
“We have now focussed our attention on rescuing men and animals not only in distress but also during disasters other then fire accidents. Earlier, there were fewer rescue tools with fire tenders. Now, we have a full-fledged Emergency Rescue Tender (ERT) with sturdy and modern equipment to face any eventuality,” District Officer (Fire and Rescue Services) S . Kalyanakumar said.
The ERT comes with inflatable jockey, power cutters, generators, iron cutter, emergency lamps, and various types of demolition tools.
Madurai also has quick response vehicles to move around narrow spaces.
Invariably, in many of the accidents on highways, firemen are called to pull out survivors who get stuck inside vehicles.
It is important that people alert the firemen (101) in such major accidents while informing ambulances (108). “The earlier we reach the accident spot, the quicker the survivors can be rescued and life and limbs saved,” the DO says.
“People can call 101 during fire accidents and other emergencies. If the locals are able to put out the fire or rescue the people in distress, they can very well call us again and update. Our vehicles will return half way. We are not going to charge any money or find fault with the callers. It is but our duty,” Mr. Kalyanakumar adds.
The district has a good infrastructure of men and machine spread across 13 locations. Each station has different strength, with the minimum being one fire tender with seven staff on duty round the clock.
“Within 60 seconds of getting calls, our fire tender sets out of the station. Our men change to personal protection suites and helmets even as the fire tenders rush to the spot,” says Station Fire Officer R. Venkatesh. Besides an SFO, a leading fireman, four firemen and a driver will be at the spot.
The hoses in each fire tender can reach up to 300 metres, which is sufficient to reach any fire source. For high-rise buildings, an imported Bronto skylift, that can reach to a height of 300 feet to spray water or rescue stranded people, comes to play.
Firemen’s duties have no boundaries or jurisdiction. “Our men from Madurai have worked in most difficult spots during Ockhi, Varda and Thane cyclones and Chennai floods. They were also there in the Nilgiris during the recent flood,” Mr. Kalyanakumar recalls.
Risk every day
Life of the firemen is always at risk. Poisonous gases in unused wells, snakes and wasps also pose a danger to them.
“The regular task of rescuing a cattle head that had fallen into a well led to the death of a firemen in Usilampatti 10 years back. It was because some curious onlooker inadvertently pushed a stone into the well that hit him on his head,” the officer recalled.
The best possible help onlookers could do for the firemen is to keep away from the spot of accident or problem. “Half the problem is solved if no other person gets into the risky situation. Often people come out to take selfies at unsafe spots,” Mr. Venkatesh complains.
For firemen, festivals mean additional responsibilities. “Our men have never celebrated Deepavali with their families. Most of us celebrate festivals at least two days in advance,” Mr. Venkatesh said.
Safety tips
The firemen want parents to keep their children away from waterbodies during vacations as there are several cases of students drowning in wells and other waterbodies.
Summing up, the officer said, “A minor negligence of not clearing garbage left near the electric panel could lead to a major fire in an industrial unit. An eye for detail in housekeeping and sticking to safety standards will help people avoid accidents,” he adds.