THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Saddled with an ageing fleet of fire engines, out-of-date fire-fighting and rescue equipment and acute shortage of staff, the Fire and Rescue Service is ill-equipped to tackle natural disasters and even major fire incidents. Even after a series of disasters that have exposed a bizarre crisis management system in the state, the authorities are yet to open their eyes. The latest being the major fire at Aryasala in the heart of the capital city on Monday night, which once again exposed the deficiencies of the Fire and Rescue Service.“Out of 2,342 sanctioned strength in the state, 1,338 posts are lying vacant. The Force is understaffed and new fire stations are being kept operational by continually redeploying personnel. Repeated requests from the us to fill the vacancies have not been met with till now, even after the list is ready with the PSC for new recruitment,” said a official of the Fire and Rescue Service.Firemen point out that many a time it is their mental strength that comes to their aid while facing risky situations as they don’t have any modern gadgets to work with. “The uniforms and necessary fire-fighting equipment were last supplied a decade back. Even the firemen in the state don’t have any proper gumboots to wear. The state of affairs in the fire stations is pathetic,” the official said.Firemen who were part of the rescue operations in Aryasala also complain about the same when it comes to the equipment and safety aids."We don’t have any proper safety aids and in Monday’s incident, at least five of our men suffered burns in their foot due to the lack of proper gumboot. The fire engines serving in the department are 15-20 years old. One of the fire engines that came to the spot didn’t have even a proper light,” said a fireman.These are all happening at a time when Fire and Rescue Service is facing the allegation that it failed to utilise the Rs 20-crore Central fund that has been allotted to buy modern fire-fighting and rescue equipment. Following the 26/11 attack, there was an instruction by the Centre to all states to equip themselves for prevention, rescue and evacuation measures.The plans to buy three Aerial Rescue machines - one each for Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode - and some other minor equipment are also yet to materialise.When contacted, the newly appointed Commandant General of the Fire Force S Pulikeshi, who took charge the other day, told Express that he would speed up the process of recruitment and the entire shortfalls in the department would be solved on a war-footing."The Force would be modernised on par with any modern fleet in the country. Necessary steps will be taken to fill all the existing vacancies at the earliest,” he said.
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