To ensure an accident-free Deepavali, the Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services Department conducted awareness drives in schools on Friday, apart from distributing pamphlets in areas of public congregation.
The awareness drives were conducted by State Fire Officers Murugan (South) and Annadurai (North), based on instructions from Divisional Fire and Rescue Services Officer N. Subramanian.
The pamphlets being distributed calls for adopting the following measures- avoiding use of firecrackers in and around hutments, firing crackers under adult supervision, keeping a bucket of water or sand ready while bursting crackers, wearing cotton clothes and using footwear, removing any combustible material near the place identified to burst crackers. Children should be discouraged from re-igniting crackers that failed to burst.
In the event of a mishap, cold water should be doused on the victim, before making him/her roll on the floor to prevent the fire from being fuelled by the wind.
Burns should be treated only with cold water and use of oil or ink should be avoided. Clearing the way for fire tenders and extending co-operation will help in combating the blaze effectively. For fire related mishaps, the numbers to be dialled are 101 or 2300101.
Precaution
Stating that all accidents related to fireworks occur only as a result of negligence and ignorance and simple precautions could ensure a safe Deepavali, Mr. Subramanian said that prior to Deepavali and on the festival day, Fire and Rescue Services is keeping all its men and material ready to ensure swift reaction to minimise damage.
