Fire Services Week was launched in the city on Wednesday amid much fanfare as hundreds of passers-by watched with awe the mass fire drill staged by firemen at the ever-busy Benz Circle at 11 a.m.
The firemen got into the act by removing two-wheelers from the road side at Swarajyalakshmi complex. Holding banners with slogans about fire safety, the firemen reached Benz Circle and took over the island. Within a few minutes, five well-decorated fire tenders reached the spot with the usual bell sound. It did not take much time for the passers-by to gather at the junction, with all of them curious to know what was happening there. Some people mistook it for a film shoot, while others thought that a major fire broke out in the surroundings. As if to clear these doubts, a fireman began addressing the people through the public address system installed in one of the fire tenders and explained the importance of observing fire safety week.
Precautions
Even while giving suggestions to the public on how to avoid fire accidents and take precautions while dealing with electricity and cooking gas, arrangements were made by the firemen for the mock drill. It began with creating fire by burning waste papers and clothes, which was immediately put out by using carbon dioxide and dry chemical powder.
Even as sun beat down heavily, the firemen created an unexpected shower by spraying water into the air only to demonstrate the procedure of putting out fire in multi-storey buildings. The spectators enjoyed the artificial downpour by getting drenched in the water. It continued for about half-an-hour and the firemen headed towards Ramavarappadu junction for staging a similar demo.
Earlier in the day, Vice-Chairman of the VGTM-UDA Y.S.B.S. Vithal flagged-off the rally of the firemen at the fire station near Swaraj Maidan. District Fire Officer S.V. Chowdary and others were present.
A commemoration parade was held in the Guntur-I Fire Station ground to mark the Fire Services Week. The station fire officer, regional training school staff, trainees and other employees of the department participated in it. District Fire Officer Ch. Sambasiva Rao formally launched the programme.
Assistant District Fire Officer E. Jojappa said this year the theme was ‘Our commitment - Fire accident free society'. After the parade various equipment were displayed to explain how rescue work is carried out. Station Fire Officer S. Sridhar coordinated the demonstration. Some posters and pamphlets were distributed among public as part of the celebrations.
