Islamabad: CDA set to enhance operational preparedness

[Naveed Yaseen]

Muhammad Anis
The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has decided to further enhance operational preparedness of its Fire and Rescue Service to meet any emergency with more efficiency.

CDA Chairman Tariq Mehmood Khan Monday visited Fire and Rescue office at Fire Brigade Headquarters of Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA) to have an overview of working of the service and its readiness to respond to any disaster in the federal capital.

The CDA chairman said that to enhance the service he has got permission from the Establishment Division to fill 176 technical and managerial posts in the Fire and Rescue Service.

He directed the member environment to bring a summary for revision in consultancy cost for establishment of CDA Disaster Management Academy with the cooperation of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) at Sector H-11. He also directed the officials to integrate services of Fire and Rescue and ‘Rescue 1122’ of CDA. In this connection, a central operation room would start working at Fire Brigade Headquarters from today (Monday).

He also directed for construction of huge size water tanks at all fire sub-stations of Fire and Rescue Service. He ordered to impose 2% penalty on the contractor for causing delay in provision of fire-fighting vehicles being imported from Finland.

The chairman was informed that the Swedish Rescue Service Academy so far has trained 86 master trainers in rescue service saying the CDA has also received state-of-the-art equipment for this purpose. On the occasion, chairman also checked performance of Fire and Rescue Service by asking the staff present at control room to show response to an emergency call.

The staff acted promptly and first fire fighting vehicle left premises of Fire Brigade Headquarters within 40 seconds. Another mock exercise was also performed by rescuing children and an injured from rooftop of the building with the help of aerial ladder.

Tariq Mehmood Khan praised arrangements made at Fire Brigade Headquarters and said that his top priority was to keep Fire and Rescue Service at high state of alert and ever efficient to tackle any emergency in shortest possible time.

Member Environment Mazhar Hussain and Director Municipal Administration Momin Agha briefed the chairman on working of the Fire and Rescue Service. Executive Director Capital Hospital Dr Hamid Zeb was also present on the occasion.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=140892