Officials asked to launch fire preventive measures, public awareness drives

Patna: DM Thiyagarajan S M on Saturday directed district officials to implement fire preventive measures and launch public awareness campaigns during the fire-prone period from March 15 to June 15. The administration has deployed 88 firefighting vehicles and personnel across nine stations on 24-hour alert to maintain a two-minute response time during the summer months, when westerly winds heighten the risk of agricultural and residential fires.Standard operating procedures require circle officers and sub-divisional officers to reach fire sites immediately to coordinate relief and ensure government assistance — including polythene sheets and financial grants — within 24 hours. The district fire department operates three 12,000-litre water bowsers, 22 water tenders, and 39 mixed-technology vehicles, along with five hydraulic platforms, five foam tenders, and 12 firefighting motorbikes.Electrical engineers have been instructed to maintain overhead power lines at a minimum height of 12 feet to allow fire trucks to access narrow streets. Panchayat officials must ensure that each village keeps basic equipment — fire beaters, tanks, buckets, ropes, and axes — at designated public locations.Residents have been advised to cook before winds intensify, extinguish hearths with water, turn off gas regulators, and avoid wearing loose clothing or using lifts during emergencies. Public safety guidelines prohibit leaving open flames unattended and carrying flammable materials on public transport, and require that harvesting be done at night and away from villages.Revenue and disaster officials must conduct survey-based geo-tagging and photography of damaged properties to enable prompt ex gratia payments to dependents of deceased victims and medical support for the injured.In case of fire, citizens should contact the state control room or emergency services. Additional numbers include the district fire control room and the sub-divisional stations in Lodipur, Phulwarisharif, and Kankarbagh. The district will observe Fire Safety Week from April 14 to 20 to further disseminate these protocols in rural and urban areas.