Give us better quality gear: Firefighters to BMC chief

The demands come in the wake of the recent Kalbadevi building fire and collapse that resulted in the death of three senior officers and serious injuries to city fire chief Nesrikar.

“The Personal Protective Appliances (PPA) provided to firefighters who risk their lives is of very poor quality. The officials are fooling workers by claiming that our uniforms are fire proof,” said union secretary Ramakant Bane at a press conference on Wednesday. The department also lacks a Standard Operating Procedure when it comes to fire fighting, he said.

[related-post]

Another grievance noted by firefighters is they are never provided with necessary training.

“The only time we receive training is when we join the force. With new advances in firefighting equipment, there has to be some in-service training for firefighters,” Bane asserted. They  also demanded the insurance money given to the deceased’s  family must be raised upto Rs 50 lakh from Rs 10-18 lakh.

mumbai.newsline@expressindia.com