Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday said the Odisha government has decided to set up 45 more fire stations in the state this year.
“The Odisha Fire Service is an indispensable public service. This year, we are adding 45 more Fire Stations to the existing 290 making it a total of 335 Fire Stations in the state. With this, Odisha will have the highest number of Fire Stations among all the states in the country. I am sure this organisation will provide prompt and effective service in all types of emergency situations,” Patnaik said while addressing the 61st National Fire Service Week celebration at the Odisha Fire and Disaster Response Academy premises in Baramunda area here.
There must be adequate protection and safety measures in the large number of high-rise apartments coming up in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur, Sambalpur and other cities to prevent fire through regular inspection and effective coordination between development authorities and the Fire Service department, the chief minister said.
He further said this organization, which has been renamed Fire and Emergency Services, is also the first responder in other calamity situations as well, and this was evident in Deogarh district two days back when a bus plunged 300 feet down a ghat.Fire Service personnel were among the first to reach the spot and commence rescue operations, he noted.
“Our government is committed to providing the best and state-of-the-art equipment for the Odisha Fire Services. I urge upon the members of the Odisha Fire Service department to do their best and render prompt service to the people of the state and and extend a supporting hand in times of distress and difficulty,”Patnaik said.
On the occasion, the chief minister dedicated three fire training institutes—the Odisha Fire and Disaster Response Academy in Bhubaneswar, the Fire Training Institute at Naraj in Cuttack and Watermanship Institute at Ramchandi in Puri—and said the state government will provide necessary staff for proper functioning of these institutes to provide high quality training.