Fighting fires and risking their lives

Rescue 1122 DG pays homage to 13 firefighters martyred in Ghakhar Plaza

LAHORE: International Firefighters’ Day was observed on Friday (May 4) in all districts of Punjab. The occasion was held to remember and pay tribute to those firefighters who lost their lives in the line of duty.

In order to promote the importance of fire safety, awareness walks, seminars and rallies were conducted by district emergency services, in collaboration with district administrations, social organisations and other stakeholders to mark this day with full zest and zeal. A ceremony in this regard was held at Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) Lahore. 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 Lead Fire Rescuer Umar Yaqoob and Lahore Fire Rescuer Imtiaz Ali were awarded best fire rescuers award in their respective cadres. The spokesman for Rescue 1122, Jam Sajjad Hussain, also paid tribute to fire rescuers by reciting his poem “Hum Kharay Hain” on this occasion.



While addressing the ceremony, Punjab Rescue 1122 Director General Dr Rizwan Naseer said firefighting was a respectable profession across the world. “I salute all those fire rescuers who lost their lives in the line of duty while saving the lives and properties of others,” he said. While paying homage to the 13 firefighters martyred in Ghakhar Plaza Rawalpindi, he said they were the real heroes of society and true sons of the soil.

“We too faced 9/11 in the shape of the catastrophic industrial fire at the Baldia Garment Factory in Karachi. It claimed 289 lives and injured over 600 people,” he remarked. He added that in developed countries, the main focus of the fire and rescue services was fire prevention. Therefore, the departments concerned will have to come forward to establish safer communities in Pakistan as it is not the job of fire rescuers alone.



He said firefighters were the real heroes of society in developed countries. “I am happy to see that our firefighters of Rescue 1122 have also achieved the same goals and subsequently gained public respect.

He said the fire service of Rescue 1122 has responded to over 108,358 fire incidents in Punjab over the last 11 years and saved losses worth more than Rs300 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% fires occurred due to short circuits, 16.86% owing to carelessness, 16.67% due to unknown reasons, 11.71% others, 4.86% due to gas leakage, 1.37% kitchen fires, 0.99% candle fires, 0.96% forest fires, 0.91% LGP cylinder while 0.68% were caused by fireworks.

He said after providing the basic right to timely emergency care without any discrimination, Rescue 1122 was now working with communities for emergency prevention and disaster risk reduction.

“In view of the surge in the 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,” he said.

Provincial Minister for Disaster Management Mahar Ijaz Ahmad Achlana said the president of Pakistan had approved 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.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 5^th, 2018.