KOLKATA: No help from strangers, no water from unknown people, keeping body parts covered and wearing masks on while fighting a fire are on the “must-follow” list of the fire services department during the pandemic.
Following these rules at a time, when back to back fire incidents are happening, have put the fire brigade under a lot of stress, adding to their newly introduced job of mass sanitization. Even on Saturday, a fire broke out on the ninth floor of an eleven-storey (G+10) residential building in Alipore.
“We have been extremely cautious this whole time with Covid-19 protocols and that is the reason, our agency has the least number of infections as of now. We are sticking to all the Covid guidelines and ensuring there are no delay or loopholes in our primary job — saving people’s lives,” said Jag Mohan, the director general of Fire services, who himself was on quarantine last month after state fire minister Sujit Bose tested Covid positive for the infection on May 29.
In the last few weeks, the fire department has been under tremendous pressure, not only to douse back-to-back fire incidents but also in various sanitization activities and tree cutting jobs post Amphan.
“Covid-19 has exposed our force to an all new challenge. We are now being called for mass sanitization drives at various parts of the state and there, too, we need to maintain utmost precautions. We have also lost one of our firemen during a tree cutting activity post the cyclone,” said the official.
The official added with bar on taking help from locals, a team of disaster management group personnel are now always accompanying the firemen for addition helping hand.
Following these rules at a time, when back to back fire incidents are happening, have put the fire brigade under a lot of stress, adding to their newly introduced job of mass sanitization. Even on Saturday, a fire broke out on the ninth floor of an eleven-storey (G+10) residential building in Alipore.
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Several fire incidents have occurred in the recent past, putting fire brigade personnel under pressure. Citizens can help themselves and fire brigade personnel by following all safety norms. Being careful is even more important now.
“We have been extremely cautious this whole time with Covid-19 protocols and that is the reason, our agency has the least number of infections as of now. We are sticking to all the Covid guidelines and ensuring there are no delay or loopholes in our primary job — saving people’s lives,” said Jag Mohan, the director general of Fire services, who himself was on quarantine last month after state fire minister Sujit Bose tested Covid positive for the infection on May 29.
In the last few weeks, the fire department has been under tremendous pressure, not only to douse back-to-back fire incidents but also in various sanitization activities and tree cutting jobs post Amphan.
“Covid-19 has exposed our force to an all new challenge. We are now being called for mass sanitization drives at various parts of the state and there, too, we need to maintain utmost precautions. We have also lost one of our firemen during a tree cutting activity post the cyclone,” said the official.
The official added with bar on taking help from locals, a team of disaster management group personnel are now always accompanying the firemen for addition helping hand.
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