Goa Fire and Emergency Services department has decided to train rural volunteers in fire fighting and disaster management, a senior official said today.
Fire and Emergency Services Director Ashok Menon told a gathering that mobile vans under a central government scheme would be procured for training the rural volunteers.
"We have a vision to go to the village panchayats and prepare rural volunteers who will be trained in various aspects of fire safety and disaster management," Menon said addressing a gathering during National Fire Service day, held here today. "This training program will be started using the mobile vans, for which central assistance is expected," he added.
Once the vans are available, the trainers would be going to each village panchayat and undertaking the training programme. This would commence from this financial year, he said. On the occasion, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar insisted the need for training in fighting agriculture-related fire, which is crucial in the state. "There is a training required to fight agriculture related fire. There are so many instances of fire in cashew plantations reported during this season," he said.
As per the official data, the department attended 5,628 fire and emergency calls during the last financial year of which 2,727 were fire related and 2,901 non-fire ones.
The department saved property worth Rs 493.93 crore during the last financial year.
