Bengal hospitals to have fire safety officers
December 28th, 2011 - 10:22 pm ICT by IANSKolkata, Dec 28 (IANS) The West Bengal government is mulling to mandate the appointment of fire safety officers in hospitals in the state in the wake of the AMRI fire here which claimed 94 lives earlier this month, a minister said Wednesday.
“During a fire emergency, it is essential to have properly trained personnel who can decide and supervise firefighting,” Fire and Emergency Services Minister Javed Ahmed Khan told IANS.
“We are planning to mandate the appointment of a fire safety officer in all hospitals across the state,” he added.
He said the officers would be trained by the government though the expenses would be borne by the hospital authorities.
Khan said the hospitals would also have to construct ramps for easy movement of patients on stretchers as well as have an alternative source of power.
“The hospitals must have ramps. In case of any contingency, critical patients can be easily moved out on stretchers through the ramps,” he said.
“There also has to be an alternative source of power supply. If because of a fire the power supply is disrupted, an alternative source of power becomes vital for undertaking rescue operations,” he added.
The fire department has also been conducting surveys across Kolkata’s commercial buildings, checking fire safety measures and those found inadequate are being served with directives to get them updated, the minister said.
In the worst fire tragedy in any hospital in India, 94 patients and staffers were killed in the AMRI Hospital when a blaze started in the basement of the annexe building Dec 9 and quickly spread, trapping hundreds of people.
Rescue and fire fighting operations were hampered due to power supply failure. The hospital was also found to have flouted fire safety norms.
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- Week after AMRI fire, anger still not doused - Dec 16, 2011
- Panels to check Kolkata fire safety, violators on notice - Dec 10, 2011
- Tension brews over smoke at city hospital - Mar 21, 2012
- Bengal government comes down hard on 'callous' hospital - Dec 09, 2011
- Smoke from AMRI Hospital triggers panic - Dec 29, 2011
- After AMRI fire, Mumbai orders fire audits of all hospitals - Dec 14, 2011
- Hospital basement was meant for car park: Kolkata mayor - Dec 10, 2011
- AMRI doctor recounts fire horror, says he saved eight - Dec 12, 2011
- Hospital fire: Kolkatans protest, Mamata orders judicial probe - Dec 11, 2011
- President grieves over Kolkata hospital fire deaths - Dec 09, 2011
- AMRI death toll rises to 93 - Dec 11, 2011
- 'No emission hazard from AMRI radiotherapy instruments' (Lead) - Dec 12, 2011
- Mamata laments lack of fire fighting infrastructure - Dec 12, 2011
- Toll now 91, including two nurses, says AMRI - Dec 10, 2011
Tags: ahmed khan, commercial buildings, conducting surveys, critical patients, fire and emergency services, fire department, fire emergency, fire safety measures, fire safety officer, fire tragedy, firefighting, hospital authorities, javed ahmed, power supply failure, ramps, rescue operations, safety officers, staffers, stretchers, west bengal government