Odisha: Fire Safety Audit, Emergency Drill At All Covid Facilities Once Every Fortnight

Bhubaneswar: Days after a major fire broke out at the ICU of Cuttack's Sadguru Covid Hospital, the Directorate of Fire Services issued a circular to all Range Fire Officers and other senior officials to conduct fire safety audits and emergency drill at all the Covid dedicated hospitals and Covid care centres of Odisha once in every two weeks.

The order approved by Odisha DGP (Fire Services) Satyajit Mohanty focused on inspection and evacuation drill at the Covid facilities and they have been asked to follow a daily maintenance schedule as per the checklist highlighting to-do list and precautionary measures to avoid such situation in the future.

This apart, the in-charge of the COVID facilities would designate one of the staff in each shift as Emergency Response Officer who should be well convergent with the drill and checklist.

The audit-cum-inspections of the COVID facilities will be held once in every fortnight. The objectives of the fire audit and emergency drill are advisory and educative in nature to respond to any fire incident swiftly with the available resources, stated the circular.

Odisha Fire Service will conduct fire safety audit and emergency drill at all the #covid facilities of the state once every fortnight. The objectives are advisory & educative in nature to respond to any fire emergencies swiftly with available resources. @CMO_Odisha @homeodisha pic.twitter.com/xQxFyzUQQp

— OdishaFireServicesHGsCD (@OdishaFS_HGs_CD) September 28, 2020

When the fire mishap occurred at Sadguru hospital in Jagatpur area on September 21, there were around 127 COVID-19 patients undergoing treatment at the hospital and all of them were immediately shifted to other hospitals in different parts of the city. Fortunately, no casualties were reported.

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