Facing the music: Rescuers warned to shed extra pounds

Otherwise they will have to undergo six-month training

LAHORE: The workers of Rescue 1122 have been warned to shed extra flab or be ready to face the music; a rigorous refresher course of six months at the Punjab Emergency Services Academy.

The Rescue 1122 operations deputy director has issued a letter stating physical fitness of officers was of prime importance for professionals in a lifesaving service to ensure efficiency during rescue operations.

The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a valuable indicator for maintaining a good healthy and normal weight, which should not exceed Index-30.

The overweight rescue officers were directed to control their BMI and ensure the conduct of physical fitness and BMI test on December 31 or report to the Emergency Services Academy on January 1, 2017.

A source told the step seemed to be a ‘goodwill gesture’ for maintenance of standards of the service, but in fact it was an effort of the newly appointed Rescue 1122 director-general to get rid of an overweight officer that he did not want to be part of his team.

After taking office in October this year, the DG had issued an order against the officer but the decision was reverted on the intervention of the district coordination officer.

A Rescue 1122 spokesperson said the maintenance of physical fitness was a prerequisite for every uniformed force.

He said the step was a part of the DG’s vision to maintain standards of the force as per international standards.

He ruled out the chance of victimisation through the step, terming it a baseless rumour.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 29^th, 2016.