Fourteen strategically vital locations and buildings in Ernakulam will soon have a detailed emergency evacuation plan in response to a fire or a terror attack.
The co-ordination plan, which is being drafted by the Fire and Rescue Services Department, will have a comprehensive evacuation strategy to save lives in the event of an emergency.
The Hindu has learnt that the fourteen key installations identified in Ernakulam include Broadway; Jewish Synagogue at Mattancherry; Jawaharlal Nehru stadium, Kaloor; District Collectorate, Kakkanad; Indian Oil Corporation bottling plant, Irumpanam; Kochi Refinery, Ambalamugal; Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd’s storage facility, Kadavanthra; Lakeshore Hospital; Lisie Hospital; Taj Malabar, Wellingdon island; Taj Gateway, Marine Drive; Le Meridien; and Crowne Plaza in Maradu.
Senior officials close to the development said that joint exercises involving special commandos, who specialise in countering urban terrorism, and fire force personnel will be carried out as part of the proposed plan. “Evacuation and mock drills will be a part of the emergency response plan in these vital installations and buildings. The fire emergency plan will include the strategies to be adopted while evacuating public from these key buildings and locations,” they said.
Select employees in the key locations will be trained in fire drills and evacuation procedures as part of the exercise. People will be trained on how to use water hydrants, gas masks and oxygen cylinders in an emergency.
More strategically-located places in Ernakulam will be identified in the second phase of the initiative.
The key objective is to ensure a professional response and evacuation plan, especially in the wake of a fire or an urban terror attack in the region.
The move is part of the State-wide plan to chalk out a mechanism involving various enforcement and co-ordinating agencies in an emergency situation. Vulnerable areas will be identified in various districts aimed at stepping up fire preparedness and emergency response in the coming days.
Joint exercises involving special commandos and fire force personnel to be carried out.
