The fire service apparatus in Srinagar is set to see major upgradation with all fire stations across the city being strengthened through a host of means and measures.
The upgradation project is a part of the Srinagar Smart City project being one its main focus areas — one where improvement in service is seen as one of the most important requirements and which is seen as an investment that benefits all.
The project includes among a host of interventions strengthening of all 23 fire stations and their integration and development of over 100 fire hydrants at different locations the aim being to strengthen the fire and emergency response apparatus across the Srinagar city.
It also includes enchanting capabilities of each fire station through equipment with requisite fire-fighting apparatus including fire tenders of different capacities and sizes. The latter includes procurement of 15 small-size fire tenders – which are being introduced here for the first time – the aim being to enable access to congested locations where normal-size tenders cannot reach.
Large fire tenders with 7500-litre capacities are also being procured as part of the project for enhancing relevant capabilities of the fire service department of the district.
Other major components of the project are development of a smart control room and setting up of a trusted wireless apparatus at 80 different locations.
Strengthening of fire service response mechanism for areas in and around the Dal Lake also makes part of the project. It includes setting up of two proper fire stations and six boats with fire-fighting capabilities.
The project is targeted for completion within four months. Different departments of the district including Fire & Emergency, Public Works Department and Public Health Engineering are involved in its execution.
The project includes setting up a well-equipped training centre at the fire service headquarters in the city. Besides the fire service staff local volunteers will also be offered fire-fighting training at the centre.
To take a firsthand assessment of requirements in this regard the Chief Executive Officer Srinagar Smart City Limited or SSCL Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary Thursday visited several fire stations across the city and interacted with concerned officers and technical staff there.
Some of the fire stations he visited for an assessment of requirements were those located at Rainawari, Qamarwari, Maisuma, Nishat, Babademb and Zakura.
Speaking on the occasion Dr Shahid said the SSCL in association with the district administration has chalked out a plan for strengthening of fire service apparatus in Srinagar city that is in tandem with the unique requirements of the city and in tune with modern requirements of fire-fighting.
He said the project also includes a host of other measures ranging from regular fire safety audits of all kinds of structures to installation of a fire-alarm system across the city to a mechanism ensuring strict adherence to national building fire-safety codes adding the aim is to achieve true strengthening of the fire and emergency response apparatus in the capital city.