PANAJI
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant conceded that quite a few old buildings including the government-possessed structures in the State are fitted with outdated fire safety systems, which need to undergo upgradation.
These buildings, he said, are directed to install the latest equipment to deal with possible fire and emergency situations.
“We have started the process of conducting a fire safety audit of all the buildings and many government buildings are found to be using old systems. We have issued instructions to the concerned to follow the guidelines by installing the latest fire safety equipment,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a launch event at the Directorate of Fire & Emergency Services (DFE) headquarters on Tuesday.
Sawant further said that a Rs 33-crore project for constructing a new building that will house the head office, fire station, dormitory for fire personnel, and training and conference halls. The project is set to be completed in March 2023.
The long pending proposal for recruiting women firefighters has finally seen the light of the day with the CM claiming that the government has initiated the process.
The recruitment rules will undergo amendment for inducting the women fire force. The proposal was mooted by then Home Minister Ravi Naik over a decade ago wherein changes to the existing recruitment rules were suggested. Goa however lost the opportunity to become the first State to induct women in fire services.
