Not many have noticed their services, but these 110-member fire and rescue services team has been offering an excellent safety cover for all the 24 venues of the State School Arts Festival in Kozhikode.
A dedicated team from the Vellimadukkunnu fire station took up the responsibility of carrying out regular safety audits at the venues with their determination to avert all hazardous situations.
“Of the total venues, 15 risky spots had already been identified, and fire tenders were allotted for 24x7 vigil. We also deployed 25 home guards and 70 civil defence officers to support the safety management initiatives,” said K.P. Baburaj, one of the station officers in the city who supervised the activities. He said the rescue teams could quickly respond to three hazardous situations and ensure security.
C.P. Anandan, another station officer, said all the venues had been given sufficient number of fire extinguishers as part of preparations under the leadership of District Fire Officer K.M. Ashraf Ali to manage unexpected fire outbreaks. He said officers trained in first aid too maintained their continuous presence at the venues.
Some officers also used the opportunity to share safety lessons with the festival crowd on meeting various hazardous situations. The functioning of various firefighting equipment was also explained to persons who were curious to know more about the department’s safety arrangements in overcrowded locations.
