Industrialists asked to ensure fire protection measures at factories

The caretaker Sindh government is fully committed to supporting the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) in strengthening firefighting systems in the city to save numerous high-rise commercial and residential buildings in case of fire emergency.

Sindh Caretaker Local Government Minister Muhammad Mubeen Jumani said this in his remarks as the chief guest at the 13th Annual Fire Safety and Security Convention and Awards 2023 organised by the National Forum for Environment and Health (NFEH).

He conceded that the operational capacity of Karachi’s fire department needed to be massively improved to make it capable of handling two major fire emergencies at a time in the city.

He said the interim provincial government stood fully committed to safeguarding the precious lives and belongings of the people in the city.

He added that the interim provincial government would support the KMC in building more fire stations in the city and provide the latest firefighting, safety and rescue equipment to the fire brigade.

Jumani said the Sindh Building Control Authority and other relevant civic agencies should discharge their responsibilities of inspecting new high-rise buildings in cities for the availability of necessary fire safety arrangements as per the law.

He expressed the hope that deliberations and recommendations of the Fire Safety Convention would encourage the industrialists and businessmen in the city to adopt the necessary fire protection measures at their offices, businesses and industries.

Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) President Iftikhar Ahmed Sheikh said that owing to the efforts of the KCCI, each of the seven industrial zones in the city had a dedicated fire station with two fire tenders provided by the federal government to deal with any fire emergency at any factory without loss of precious time.

He, however, conceded that much had to be done by the industries in the city to beef up their individual fire protection measures by strict adoption to the safety laws.

Sheikh said the KCCI would join hands with non-government organisations like the NFEH to run awareness campaigns in the industrial zones to motivate the factory owners to adopt the fire safety codes.

He assured the audience that the KCCI would fully support the government and relevant agencies for strict implementation of fire protection measures in the commercial and industrial buildings in the city.

Omani Consul General in Karachi Sami Abdullah Salim Al Khanjari expressed the hope that events like the Fire Safety Convention would go a long way in promoting the culture of fire safety in residential and office buildings in the city.

He noted that dangerously dangling wires of electricity and TV cable service in almost all parts of Karachi posed a serious safety risk to people and the relevant civic agencies should immediately take care of this issue.

He informed the audience that latest technology was used in Oman for safety measures, including electricity shutdown, for dealing with any fire emergency.

Fire Protection Industry of Pakistan President Dr Imran Taj emphasised that every industrial unit should undergo annual inspections to check the validity of its fire safety measures.

He underscored the need for strict compliance with the Fire Safety Provisions 2016 of the Building Code of Pakistan.

Sindh Integrated Emergency & Health Services (SIEHS) CEO Brig (retd) Tariq Qadir Lakhiar said the Sindh government had succeeded in curtailing the response time for dispatching firefighters, ambulances and first aiders to any troubled spot in the cities after the launch of the SIEHS that worked in coordination with the fire department of the KMC.

He said the volunteers and emergency responders belonging to the SIEHS had so far provided essential rescue and relief services with impeccable integrity to over 1.5 million victims of highway accidents and there had not been a single complaint against them regarding theft of valuables of the passengers in distress.

NEFH Secretary General Ruqiya Naeem said the superstores on the ground floor of high-rise residential buildings should not be allowed to store cooking oil or any hazardous material in the basements to prevent fire emergencies.

NFEH President Naeem Qureshi, in his welcome speech, said the recommendations of the convention would be sent to the relevant government authorities and agencies for strict adoption of the fire safety measures in the multi-storey residential and commercial buildings in cities.

Around 50 companies and industries were given awards by the local government minister on the occasion for showing excellence in adopting fire safety measures in their offices and industrial set-ups.