With the high temperature and heatwaves continuing in the State, fire department officials are receiving about 50 calls a day.
Director of fire services P. Venkata Ramana said they received many alerts relating to burning vehicles, haystacks, electric transformers and electrical appliances this year. Officers of A.P. State Disaster Response and Fire Services Department said the control room received around 5,000 calls over the past three months (summer), about the same number of calls it received during the same period last year.
Additional director of the department G. Srinivasulu said they received about 7,500 calls in 2023 so far. “Of these, 28 were major, 36 serious, 458 medium and 6,672 small fire alerts and 333 rescue calls.” On orders from the director-general, AP State Disaster Response and Fire Services Department, P.V. Sunil Kumar, all officers and staff have been put on high alert in the wake of the soaring temperature,” he added.
Eleven die
Over the past five months, 11 people died in fire incidents and firemen saved 19. “We have 194 fire stations and 262 fire tenders in the State. Fire personnel are responding to the alerts in time,” Mr. Srinivasulu told The Hindu on Sunday.
No leave to firemen
Director (administration) D. Murali Mohan and director (technical) P. Venkata Ramana have been tasked with monitoring the situation round the clock. Department officers said firemen were not being sanctioned leaves.
“This year, fire-alert calls have come down compared with previous years due to a decrease in the number of huts, rising number of pakka houses and increased awareness among the public about safety,” Mr. Venkata Ramana said.
Srinivasulu appealed to the public to be cautious while using electrical appliances and the industrial units to take necessary safety measures.
