F&E deptt J&K urges Home deptt for enforcement powers

Srinagar, Mar 01: The Fire and Emergency Department Kashmir has requested Home Department to grant them enforcement powers, citing rise in fire incidents in the Kashmir valley over the past few years.
A senior official from the Fire and Emergency Department Kashmir stated that the request has been made for the safety of the people as well as their properties.
“The request has been sent recently, and we are hopeful that the Home Department will approve it. Once approved, Fire and Emergency officials can visit any structure to check whether safety measures have been implemented or not,” the officer said.
He further added, “Currently, the department is conducting on-demand fire audits in government buildings, but there are no specific guidelines for residential houses. With enforcement power, they will be able to conduct audits in residential areas.”
This is a great move aimed at the safety of people and their property, said Manzoor Ahmad of Downtown Srinagar. He revealed that their area is witnessing fire incidents on a regular basis, which is destroying properties worth lakhs of rupees. “Such a step from the department is great and should be implemented at the earliest.”
People are spending a considerable amount of money on the construction of residential houses, yet they are not implementing fire safety measures for the protection of their properties,” the officer stated. Very few households have fire extinguishers at their homes, F&E maintained.
“The majority of fire incidents are reported in residential houses, and these incidents are often due to negligence, as 95-99 percent of fire incidents are caused by short circuits or gas leaks.”
Once approval is granted by the Home Department, the Fire and Emergency Department will be able to check households to ensure they are adhering to fire safety measures. They believe that this could lead to a decline in fire incidents in the Kashmir valley.