State Fire Services Additional Director K Jayaram Naik on Thursday exhorted firemen to constantly update their knowledge to tackle newer disaster challenges.
Reviewing an impressive passing-out parade by the 87th batch of Director Recrui Firemen, he said “you should be in a continuous learning process to meet tough and new disaster challenges''.
The firemen exhibited their competence in handling challenging disaster situations including ‘evacuation of persons from high-rise buildings which had caught fire on the occasion'.
As many as 1,189 firemen from all over the State were provided training outside Hyderabad for the first time in four centres. Firemen from the districts of Hyderabad, Rangareddy, Medak, Adilabad, Nalgonda and Anantapur were provided training in Ongole since August 16, Training college Principal and Anantapur District Fire Officer(DFO) T Uday Kumar said.
Due to sustained efforts of Fire Services Director General Vinay Ranjan Ray 90 per cent of vacancies had been filled by a single notification, said Regional Fire Officer(East) P Ravinder Reddy.
Prakasam DFO R Gyanasundaram, Nellore DFO G Srinivasa Rao and East Godavari Additional DFO D Veerabhadra Rao were among those present.
Mr Naik told reporters that hospitals across the State were asked to initiate fire safety measures to avert mishaps like the one at AMRI hospital in Kolkata.
In Hyderabad only 17 of 91 hospitals functioning from high rise buildings had fully complied with safety norms, he said. Punitive action would be taken if they did not comply with the norms within one month, he added.
