UNB, Dhaka :
The government has initiated a move to improve the standard of services of Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defense through modernising its all the stations across the country as those are still equipped with age-old systems and equipment.
“The services at hand are too inadequate compared to the population growth and expansion of cities,” said a senior official of Fire Services.
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) approved a project to this end on November 30, 2014 involving Tk 198.77 crore to be spent from the national exchequer.
Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defense under the Ministry of Home Affairs will implement the project titled ‘Modernisation of Fire Service and Civil Defense’ by June, 2017.
Talking to UNB, a Planning Commission official said the project aims to modernise and enhance the capacity of Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defense through procurement of modern rescue equipment, machinery and vehicles to protect lives and property of common people during disasters like earthquakes, fire incidents as well as to keep the extent of losses to a minimum level.
The official said although the Fire Service and Civil Defense has 273 fire stations across the country with 6,500 people, the firefighters have scarcity of necessary rescue equipment and vehicles for tackling large-scale natural disasters like earthquakes as well as operating post-quake rescue operations.
The main activities of the project include procurement of four turntable ladders, five emergency tenders, four water tenders, four special water tenders (with capacity of 11,000 liters), 12 toying vehicles, three excavators (with capacity of 60 tonnes), one crane (heavy duty), four rescue command vehicles and other machinery for conducting rescue operations.
Talking about the project, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal told UNB that the government is working to expand the operations of the Fire Service and Civil Defense in every upazila of the country providing them with modern equipment.
He said, that not only the upazilas, the growth centers would also get fire stations gradually in the future to tackle disasters and fire incidents.
The government has initiated a move to improve the standard of services of Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defense through modernising its all the stations across the country as those are still equipped with age-old systems and equipment.
“The services at hand are too inadequate compared to the population growth and expansion of cities,” said a senior official of Fire Services.
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) approved a project to this end on November 30, 2014 involving Tk 198.77 crore to be spent from the national exchequer.
Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defense under the Ministry of Home Affairs will implement the project titled ‘Modernisation of Fire Service and Civil Defense’ by June, 2017.
Talking to UNB, a Planning Commission official said the project aims to modernise and enhance the capacity of Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defense through procurement of modern rescue equipment, machinery and vehicles to protect lives and property of common people during disasters like earthquakes, fire incidents as well as to keep the extent of losses to a minimum level.
The official said although the Fire Service and Civil Defense has 273 fire stations across the country with 6,500 people, the firefighters have scarcity of necessary rescue equipment and vehicles for tackling large-scale natural disasters like earthquakes as well as operating post-quake rescue operations.
The main activities of the project include procurement of four turntable ladders, five emergency tenders, four water tenders, four special water tenders (with capacity of 11,000 liters), 12 toying vehicles, three excavators (with capacity of 60 tonnes), one crane (heavy duty), four rescue command vehicles and other machinery for conducting rescue operations.
Talking about the project, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal told UNB that the government is working to expand the operations of the Fire Service and Civil Defense in every upazila of the country providing them with modern equipment.
He said, that not only the upazilas, the growth centers would also get fire stations gradually in the future to tackle disasters and fire incidents.
