Daily Times

LAHORE: Punjab Emergency Service (Rescue 1122) commemorated the International Firefighters Day marked by seminars, walks, awareness activities and ceremonies in remembrance of martyred firefighters of Rescue 1122, who lost their lives while saving the lives of others in the provincial metropolis as well as across the province on Friday.

In order to promote fire safety, awareness walks, seminars and rallies were conducted by district emergency services in collaboration with district administrations, social organisations and other stakeholders of society to mark this day with full zest and zeal.

Provincial Minister for Disaster Management Department Mahar Ijaz Achlana, renowned actor and social activist Noorul Hassan, former seasoned firefighter Ghulam Muhammad Naz and other notables attended the ceremony. Okara LFR Umar Yaqoob and LFR Lahore Imtiaz Ali were awarded Best Fire Rescuers in respective cadres.

While addressing the ceremony at Pakistan Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, Director General Rescue Punjab Dr Rizwan Naseer said that firefighting is a respectable profession across the world and “I salute all those sagacious fire rescuers, who lost their lives in the line of duty while saving the lives and properties of others”.

While paying homage to those 13 sagacious firefighters martyred in Ghakhar Plaza Rawalpindi, he said they were the real heroes of “our society and true sons of the soil who sacrificed their lives. We too faced 9/11 in the shape of catastrophic industrial fire of Baldia Garment Factory in Karachi which claimed 289 lives and injured over 600 people”, he added.

He said that in developed countries, the main focus of the fire and rescue services is fire prevention, therefore, the concerned departments would have to come forward for establishment of safer communities in Pakistan as it is not the job of fire rescuers alone. He said that fire rescuers are real heroes of society in developed countries and “I am happy to see that our fire rescuers of Rescue 1122 have also achieved the same goals significantly and subsequently public have great respect for them”.

He said the Fire Service of Rescue 1122 has responded to over 108,358 fire incidents in Punjab during the last 11 years and saved losses worth over Rs 300 billion. The service shifted 3,869 critical victims of fires to hospitals, provided first aid to 2,332, while 963 died during these incidents. The statistics show 44.96 percent fires occurred due to short circuiting, 16.86 percent owing to carelessness, 16.67 percent due to unknown reasons, 11.71 percent others, 4.86 percent due to gas leakage, 1.37 percent kitchen fires, 0.99 percent candle fires, 0.96 percent forest fires, 0.91 LGP cylinder while 0.68 percent due to fireworks.

Dr Rizwan Naseer said that after providing the basic right in the form of timely emergency care without discrimination, Rescue 1122 is now working with the communities for emergency prevention and disaster risk reduction. In view of the increasing number of fire emergencies, there is a dire need to evolve an effective fire prevention strategy involving the establishment of modern emergency services in all provinces, implementing the National Fire Safety Codes, enactment of an effective Fire Prevention and Community Safety legislation, capacity building of professionals regarding fire safety codes, safety laws and effective enforcement of fire safety codes to establish safer communities in Pakistan.

Mahar Ijaz Ahmad Achlana said on the occasion that President Mamnoon Hussain had approved the National Fire Safety Codes last year and now the government was working for their enforcement in true letter and spirit to ensure safety.

He said Rescue 1122 has created a sense of safety in society through professional firefighting in Punjab, adding that today as we commemorate the International Fire Fighters’ Day, “we also acknowledge the dedication, heroism and importance of firefighters of our country”.

Published in Daily Times, May 5^th 2018.