This refers to the report “Fire at IOC depot in Navi Mumbai” (January 18). The recent blaze at an Indian Oil Corporation depot in Navi Mumbai is just a case in point. Fire-related safety measures are in a state of neglect in the country. It is time we learnt some serious lessons on tackling fire accidents.
There are two important fire-fighting tactics. One, how to douse the fire and prevent it from spreading. To contain the fire on time, transportation of fire-fighters and fire-fighting equipment is critical. For this, wide road space must be made available in front of big commercial buildings.
Two, a blueprint of the building structure should be given to the fire-brigade so that the fire can be prevented from spreading to other parts of the building.
Also, our fire-fighters are not well trained. Continuous training and daily mock fire-fighting drills are necessary. Major fire incidents should videographed so that the fire brigade can see the footage later to determine their mistakes.
P Senthil Saravana Durai, Hyderabad
