Unrecognised heroes : ‘Foreign help can improve firefighting’

He was addressing a ceremony in connection with the international Firefighters Day at the Governor’s House.

The governor recalled his days in Scotland and said better firefighting could be ensured if officials of the fire department and Rescue 1122 workers were trained by Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Service in Glasgow.

Sarwar said firefighting was a very respected profession in the developed world. He said emergency services should partner with international counterparts for better equipment and training. He said rescue services should have exchange programmes so that services could be improved through collaboration.

He said most fires could be prevented if there were proper fire safety equipment was installed in buildings. He said emergency exits should be clearly marked and ladders installed in high-rise buildings.

He said it was important for urban communities to get together and raise awareness about fire safety. The governor said in developed countries, planning departments were an integral part of the building control authorities.

He said during a fire, if fire fighters faced difficulty in accessing a building due to its structure, the planning department officials would be held responsible and action would be taken against building owners.

He lauded the services of Rescue 1122. He said firefighters were largely unrecognised heroes and there should be more recognition and rewards for the risk they took to save peoples’ lives.

Punjab Emergency Service Director General Dr Rizwan Naseer congratulated the rescue officials on the day and paid rich tributes to the services of firefighters who had sacrificed their lives in the line of duty. Later, the governor gave awards to select Rescue 1122 officials, including Lead Fire Rescuer Ameer Ali, Fire Rescuer Bilal Jehangir and Fire Instructor Muhammad Yousuf.

Arfa Kareem IT Tower and Famous Plaza were declared the safest buildings in Lahore. 

Published in The Express Tribune, May 5^th, 2014.