[caption id="attachment_100816" align="alignnone" width="560"]
Fire trucks seen parked outside the office of Dimapur Fire Brigade.[/caption]
Dimapur, Mar. 2: Equipped with just 5 fire engines, the fire brigade in Dimapur has been left to fight calamities with the onset of the dry season. Of late as many as 10 fire incidents have occurred in the district, including one that happened on Wednesday last at PWD colony.
Fire accidents mostly, if not exclusively, occur during the dry and windy seasons. While there were as many as 92 fire accidents in 2014, the number has come down to 44 incidents each in 2015 and 2016.
The Dimapur fire brigade which earlier had 6 fire trucks is now left with just 5 as one has been sent to Tuli in Mokokchung district.
With as many as 49 personnel, 17-20 fire staffs (including duty commander, jawans, drivers), the city fire service covers its 24x7 duty on a rotation basis, while extra staff also comes in during emergencies.
With the help of a static tank built inside the office premises, the work of the fire engines becomes easier.
The department, in order to create awareness on fire disasters, also have organized various programmes at schools and institutes during the recent years.
Officer-in-charge of Dimapur fire station, A Wati Jamir told
Eastern Mirror that every citizen should be prepared to face any unwanted situations. He said every household should keep additional reservoirs of water especially during the dry season.
He requested all commuters to give way to fire engines who are rushing to save lives and properties. Jamir also said that one of the major problems faced by the firefighters were the onlookers at the scene.
In the chaos, he said, the onlookers create more hurdles and disturb the free access of the fire trucks and the firefighters. The city fire service is said to be expecting a new office building in the same location soon.
In a place like Nagaland where almost all households are non-vegetarian, there have been instances of houses being burned down after families left fire inside their kitchen unattended while drying meat from the smoke.
A woman whose kitchen was also burnt to ashes recently narrated that she had gone to the market, leaving her meat to dry above the hearth when a huge fire broke out. While regretting her carelessness she advised all smoked-meat lovers to be more careful while drying meat, especially during the dry season when fire accidents are very common.
Though there is fire department with 5 fire engines for the district, surely the safest measure is to prevent it from starting in the first place, according to the official.
[caption id="attachment_100817" align="alignnone" width="560"]
[/caption]
Before you sleep make sure your fire place is doused off.
