Sirsa: Fire Department gears up to handle emergencies during wheat harvesing season

Anil Kakkar

Sirsa, April 5

The wheat harvesting season is about to commence. To prevent any untoward incidents and emergencies during this period, the Fire Department is on high alert and taken proactive measures.

Notably, the services of the department in the district have been integrated with mobile data terminals akin to Dial 112, allowing swift assistance. Mobile data terminals (MDTs) will also be installed in fire tenders, enabling firefighters to quickly locate mobile phones and addresses via Google Maps and promptly respond to fire incidents.

Fourteen such mobile data terminal devices have been deployed across the district, with seven in Sirsa, three in Dabwali, two in Kalanwali, and one each in Rania and Ellenabad.

During the previous wheat harvesting season, 86 fire-related calls were received by the department. In March, 27 fire and two rescue-related calls were received by the department and immediate assistance was provided.

The department has deployed 26 large and small vehicles and eight motorcycles for fire-fighting operations in the district. In Sirsa, 13 vehicles and two bikes are stationed, while in Kalanwali, four vehicles and one bike have been provided.

The deployment of vehicles ensures that all resources can be utilised efficiently in case of any fire incident. Staff shortage is evident in the department. In Sirsa, there are 66 approved posts, of which one is of a fire officer, two of sub-fire officers, 56 of fire operators, and six of leading firefighters. Sixty employees are currently active and six posts are vacant in the district.

Overall, there are 191 approved posts in the department across the district of which 146 have been filled.

Rakesh Yadav, Fire Station Officer, Sirsa, said, “Despite staff shortages, all employees and officials are committed to work round the clock. Employees’ leave has been cancelled to ensure full strength. The department’s services have been integrated with mobile data terminal technology, similar to Dial 112.”