KOCHI: Local bodies in the city’s suburbs are concerned over manpower and equipment shortage in the department of fire and rescue services in Ernakulam . The fires that broke out at Brahmapuram waste treatment plant this year have once again exposed department’s lack of preparedness to handle emergencies.“There are two firefighting vehicles at Kakkanad fire station. Though the sanctioned strength of the fire station is 24, the current strength is 16. Kakkanad is the region where Infopark and CSEZ are located. It is one of the centres where many highrises have come up. If a major fire breaks out, we will have to depend on the nearby major and smaller fire stations to douse it,” said a firefighter on condition of anonymity.Manpower shortage has forced available personnel to work for long hours and often without sufficient leave. The absence of technically-advanced machines for dousing fire is also another major concern. “All these issues have been discussed at different platforms. Even if new machines and vehicles are brought in, they become redundant. It is mainly because the department does not have staff members who are trained to operate them,” he added.Tripunithura municipal chairperson R Chandrika Devi said the town is a predominantly residential region. The roads here witness heavy traffic movement, and the bylanes are too narrow. “In case of a major fire, it will be difficult for firefighters to move around. There is a need to station sufficient number of fire engines, other modern firefighting equipment and sufficient staff to deal with emergencies. Even emergency vehicles find it difficult to navigate through the congested roads in Kochi and nearby areas,” she said.Civil society members and local bodies insist that the state government should take steps to resolve the matter without much delay. After August floods, the department of fire and rescue services submitted a report to the government stating the measures to be taken to strengthen the department and to ensure greater efficiency. It included the suggestion to convert the scuba training centre at Fort Kochi into an advanced water rescue centre for training the personnel and communityrescue volunteers. The department also proposed a special task force of 100 trained members at the headquarters-level under the director (technical) of the department for deployment during emergencies. Strengthening of districtlevel offices and addressing the shortage of ministerial staff was sought.“Though this report was prepared after the August floods, there has been no report on the progress made. The state registers an average of 1,600 drowning deaths a year. A good number of these deaths are reported from Ernakulam. The advanced water rescue centre is a need for the district. However, the local bodies do not have any say in such matters,” a Kochi corporation official said.

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