As the deputy fire chief of the Mumbai fire brigade continues to battle for life after suffering over 80 per cent burn injuries in the Kalbadevi fire last Saturday, the Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamna , and BJP MP Kirit Somaiya have called for modernisation of the fire services and its equipment.
While Mr. Somaiya wrote a letter to Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu requesting his ministry to take serious note of the fire at the four-storey building Gokul Niwas at Kalbadevi — which killed two firemen and left two top officers with serious burns — the Saamna editorial called for an serious audit of the equipment Mumbai Fire Brigade presently possesses.
In the letter, sent on Monday, the MP from Mumbai (north east) constituency has urged the Urban Development ministry to take up the issue of fire safety with the State Government and municipal corporations.
The letter says the Mumbai Fire Brigade team has faced increasing challenges over the past two decades. However, the department’s fire fighting system had not been upgraded.
The Saamna editorial cited several other instances in Mumbai in which fire personnel faced grave danger to their lives and called for a detailed audit of whether the fire services personnel were adequately equipped with safety equipment.
“Do the fire men have enough personal protection equipment suits (PPE) that, complete with masks and helmets, protect firemen during operations? Due to lack of available PPE suits, firemen often use handkerchiefs to cover their faces and douse themselves with water before stepping into highly risky operations,” the editorial said.
BJP MP Kirit Somaiya calls for upgradation of safety equipment
