The government and the fire department should also collaborate to conduct trainings in schools
KARACHI: Karachi is the biggest city of Pakistan and it generates the most revenue. Despite this, it lacks basic infrastructural facilities, such as a well-equipped fire-fighting department. We have seen various factories and buildings catching fire, and the flames are often uncontrollable due to the presence of chemicals and other flammable substances. The fire-fighting department has a limited number of fire tenders and the crew takes at least an hour to arrive at the site due to the city’s traffic. Unfortunately, most of the damage is done by then, as was the case in the tragic Baldia Town factory fire, where the fire tenders arrived 90 minutes after being contacted by the factory owner. The fire-fighting crew often even lacks the proper facilities and adequate water supply required to extinguish the blazing fires. The government of Sindh needs to take notice of this and work on improving the fire department, in order to be prepared for emergencies. The government and the fire department should also collaborate to conduct trainings in schools, and public and private buildings in order to educate and equip citizens with life-saving skills in case of an emergency.
Saman Fayyaz
Published in The Express Tribune, May 13th, 2019.
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