Striking Fire Force unit inaugurated in Bhubaneswar

BHUBANESWAR: DG Fire Service Santosh Kumar Upadhyay on Friday inaugurated Striking Fire Force (SFF) unit of Central Range at Odisha Fire and Disaster Response Academy (OFDRA) in Baramunda area of the city. SFF unit of Central Range will operate from OFDRA campus.

The government had created SFF on August 30 this year to carry out operations during major accidental disasters. The force’s personnel will be engaged if a massive blaze breaks out in any city or town. SFF will be equipped with fire entry suits, breathing apparatus sets, illumination and other sophisticated equipment to carry out rescue and evacuation operations.

They will also be engaged in case of hazardous incidents like chemical/toxic liquid spillage or gas leakage, major road/railway accidents, structural failures/collapses, to evacuate people from high-rise buildings during an emergency and to carry out rescue and restoration works during cyclones/floods. SFF has three units and they are stationed in Bhubaneswar, Sambalpur and Berhampur. Each unit consists of 48 personnel of Odisha Fire Service.