Amidst the ongoing heatwave and related fire incidents, police in Gautam Buddh Nagar district (Noida) issued crucial guidelines to authorities on Saturday. The directives stress the importance of managing operational equipment in essential facilities to reduce risks.
The Additional Chief Secretary (Home), the Director General of Police (UP), and the Director General of Fire Services and Emergency Services (UP) issued the advisory following a video conference held on Friday.
The police advisory instructs schools, colleges, hospitals, ICUs, and other important establishments to keep standby equipment operational and use them alternately to prevent overheating and potential fire hazards. It also emphasizes the importance of proper waste management.
The advisory urges societies and establishments to exercise caution and avoid burning waste, warning that this can lead to extensive fires and significantly increase the risk of injury and property damage.
The advisory emphasizes the importance of fire and electrical audits in preventing accidents. It instructs gaming zones, major commercial establishments, hotels, and hospitals to conduct comprehensive audits, including inspecting electrical wiring and load capacities to prevent short circuits and replacing old, deteriorated wiring.
The advisory, issued in response to multiple recent incidents of fires in Noida caused by “AC blasts,” also focuses on the usage of air conditioning.
The advisory instructs that air conditioners should not be operated continuously. Instead, they should be turned off at regular intervals and regularly serviced to prevent overheating and subsequent fire risks.
The advisory highlights the vital role of public awareness campaigns in fire prevention. It directs officials to conduct fire safety awareness campaigns on social media and create educational videos on handling fires caused by petroleum products, gas cylinders, foam, plastics, and other flammable materials.
The advisory stresses the importance of ensuring all firefighting equipment in hospitals, high-rise buildings, and critical establishments is fully operational. It also emphasizes the need for a sufficient number of trained personnel to handle any fire emergencies.
The advisory emphasizes that effective emergency response requires coordination among various departments. It stresses the need for enhanced coordination and communication among the fire department, traffic police, UP 112 PRV, local police, and medical services.
It noted that this ensures clear routes for fire tenders and prompt emergency response.
The advisory emphasized the deployment of at least two fire tenders to any fire incident to ensure continuous firefighting operations. It stated that this redundancy is crucial if one vehicle runs out of water.
It stressed the necessity of identifying and maintaining water resources for effective firefighting. The fire department should identify and ensure access to adequate water resources, according to the advisory. It highlighted the importance of keeping an updated list of fire hydrants, stating that each officer and employee should have this list, and any inactive hydrants should be made operational immediately.
The advisory directed senior officers to educate owners and managers of significant and fire-sensitive establishments about fire safety. It emphasized that these individuals should be aware of the role of police and fire services in emergencies.
The advisory highlighted crowd control at fire sites as another critical aspect. It stated that local police should promptly manage crowds to prevent gathering and ensure clear access for fire tenders and ambulances.
It added that regular review and improvement of response times for fire tenders are essential. This practice should follow protocols similar to UP-112 vehicle response times. Immediate action upon receiving fire reports is crucial. Senior officers should prioritize and initiate firefighting actions without delay, according to the advisory.
It stated that preventing vehicle overheating is important to avoid potential fires, advising against continuous vehicle operation, recommending regular meter checks, and allowing vehicles to cool down in the shade.
Police also warned against carelessly discarding lit cigarettes or ‘bidis’, as they pose significant fire risks, calling for close monitoring to prevent such hazards.
Also Read: Noida: Fire Erupts In Amrapali Zodiac Society, Blaze Devastates Shop I WATCH
