Corrective measures underway to fix Karachi’s faulty firefighting system: LG minister

The provincial government is taking corrective measures on an emergency basis to repair the faulty fire engines and overcome the shortage of staff at the Karachi’s fire brigade department, said Sindh Information and Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah on Friday.

“In my recent visit to the Central Fire Station near Karachi’s Civil Hospital, I came to know about the worrisome situation that only 14 fire tenders out of total 44 are operational in Karachi, while the city’s fire brigade is also facing acute shortage of staff. Only two of the five snorkels available with them was found functional,” said the local government minister while addressing the 10th Fire Safety & Security Convention-2020 as the chief guest. The National Forum for Environment & Health organised the convention in collaboration with the Fire Protection Association of Pakistan (FPAP).

He said the Sindh chief minister had ordered measures to immediately repair the faulty fire engines and snorkels and also to overcome the shortage of staff for the city’s fire brigade department. He said the Sindh government was in the process of procuring more fire tenders and snorkel for the city.

He said the fire engines were being brought for other cities of the province too. The minister said the Sindh government was aware of its responsibilities that it had to ensure fire safety and protection in all cities of the province.

He said Karachi’s fire brigade department would get new fire tenders from the federal government too. Nasir said the provincial government would ensure that proper resources were available to operate and maintain the fire engines for Karachi’s fire fighting system. He said the Sindh government would also establish fire stations in the industrial estates of the city.

He paid tributes to the martyred firefighters who had laid down their lives while performing their duties. The LG minister acknowledged that the city’s firefighters in total disregard for their own safety performed their emergency duties despite having insufficient resources and equipment.

He assured the FPAP that the provincial government would ensure the implementation of the fire safety provision in the building code. Korangi Association of Trade & Industry (KATI) President Saleem uz Zaman said KATI would meet the operational and maintenance expenses of the two fire tenders it would soon get from the federal government to deal with any fire emergency in the Korangi industrial area.

FPAP General Secretary Tariq Moen said the relevant civic agencies, including the Sindh Building Control Authority and cantonment boards, should ensure the implementation of the Fire Safety Provision-2016 as part of the building code for the safety of the commercial and high-rises.

Imran Taj of the FPAP said the programmes like the Fire Safety & Security Convention went a long way in encouraging the commercial establishments, industrial units, and real estate companies to adopt proper fire safety arrangements for the protection of their precious human resource and infrastructure.

He said the FPAP would continue collaborating with the relevant governmental and non-governmental organisations to conduct training and awareness sessions to help promote the culture of fire safety in the country.