Over 100 personnel from the Fire and Rescue Services and volunteers on Sunday took out a 15 km bicycle rally as part of Fire Services Week, which is being observed from April 14.
The Director of the Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services (TNFRS), Director General of Police C. Sylendra Babu, and Joint Director, North, N. Priya Ravichandran took part in the event. The cycle rally began at the Ashok Nagar fire station and ended at the Ambattur fire station.
The cyclists carried placards to create awareness on fire safety and COVID-19 precautions. On Wednesday, 50 personnel, including Mr. Sylendra Babu, took out a cycle rally for about 200 km as part of the event.
The rally started at the Tamil Nadu Fire Service State Training Centre in Tambaram and headed towards Sriperumbudur, Kancheepuram and Mamallapuram, before coming back to the training centre.
Every year, April 14 is observed as Martyrs’ Day by the Fire and Rescue Services personnel.
The day is observed in remembrance of the 71 firemen who lost their lives fighting a fire that broke out on the freighter S.S. Fort Stikine at Victoria Dock in the then Bombay Port on April 14, 1944. The explosion of 400 tonnes of dynamite in the ship, led to the death of hundreds of people, including the firemen, apart from extensive damage to 14 ships.
To remember the brave men who lost their lives fighting the fire, the day is observed nationally every year.