With no modern equipment at their disposal for underwater search and rescue operations, fire and rescue service stations in the district are finding it difficult to handle emergency situations. The long delay in tracing six persons who were washed way in the Pasukkadavu flash floods on September 18 and two other youths who went missing in Iruvazhinji river last week reveals how ill-equipped are the stations.
Surprisingly, firemen handle such situations using out-dated diving equipment and breathing apparatus. Mostly, they use manual and primitive search techniques with the support of residents and the police.
Only two scuba diving kits are now available with the Fire and Rescue Services Department here to cover the entire district. During deep water search, these outdated kits from the Meenchanda fire station — with no high-end camera support or breathing tools — give a lot of trouble to divers. Sources confirmed that such poor-quality kits were no more fit for operation, and that they were being used without renewing the mandatory Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC). Most often, divers go ahead with manual search options.
“We are compelled to use outdated equipment when other States provide modern scubas worth Rs.8 lakh for their personnel. The difference lies in the fact that they can easily carry out operations in rivers with precision and speed,” said an officer attached to the fire and rescue services unit in the city. He revealed that the rescue wing in Kozhikode district had no quality underwater dive lights to support late night searches during emergency.
Not enough dinghies
In the absence of sufficient number of dinghies fitted with outboard engines, the department mostly depends on hired boats. At present, the beach station has an old dinghy, which cannot be depended on during critical times. The scenario is no different at the other seven stations in the district.
Meanwhile, sources said deep water search and rescue operations were mostly carried out with the support of a three-member squad though the strength of the eight fire stations in the district is around 200. Though the station has the strength of around 11 well-trained divers, most of them are reluctant to take up challenges in the absence of modern apparatus. They also reveal that the search for the victims who recently went missing in the Iruvazhinji river had come across such a crisis, when it too around three days to complete a rescue mission.
An office-bearer of the Kerala Fire Services Association pointed out that the fund allotted every year for procurement of quality equipment remained unutilised. “At the end of the tendering process, the supplier who quotes the lowest price wins the bid, and supplies products. The State government has sanctioned Rs.3 crore for procurement of necessary equipment this year, but, we fear it will be misused as usual,” he added.
