Lack of right gear delays rescue

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Firefighters and rescue workers were bogged down due to lack of proper equipment delaying evacuation during yesterday’s fire at BSEC Bhaban in Karwan Bazar in the capital even though their sincerity in doing their jobs was unquestionable.
Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence department is equipped to fight fires up to the height of six to seven storey buildings as their snorkel fire engines (fire engines with a crane and a nest mounted on it) could reach only that high.

Two people were trapped at the western side of the eighth floor of BSEC Bhaban for more than three hours yesterday, as the snorkel fire engines could not reach them.

The fire department has only one “turntable ladder” (TTL), which could reach heights over seven floors, and it was being used to rescue people from the rooftop at the northern part of the building.

Major Imran of the army took initiatives to rescue the two people who were trapped. From the snorkel fire engine’s nest he held a bamboo-made ladder so that the two on the eight floor could climb down.

Ashok Jaa, country director of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd, was one of the two victims who were trapped. He told journalists that he had lost heart when he saw rescue ladder failing to reach the required height where he was trapped.

He tried to climb down one floor so that he could reach a rescue ladder but he could not due to the heat and smoke.

A fire department official said the government of Japan gave the TTL, the only one they have now, some 17-18 years ago. He claimed the department’s attempts to get more TTLs were always ignored.

“We need more TTLs and snorkel fire engines with more capability. Modern snorkel fire engines could reach up to thirty floors,” said an inspector of fire service.

The fire department is failing to provide the necessary service in the city due to inadequate firefighting equipment, preparations, manpower, and unplanned and narrow city streets, and scarcity of water sources, fire service officials told The Daily Star a few years ago.

They said due to industrial growth, the likelihood of a chemical fire has increased but the department does not have the equipment to fight chemical fires.

Only a couple of fire stations in the capital have “chemical tender” (a firefighting device loaded with dry powder, carbon-dioxide gas, foam etc to fight chemical fires).

There are only 14 fire stations in the capital, which is inadequate to provide service to the 1530 square kilometre metropolitan city, the officials said. There is only one firefighter for every 30,000 people in the city and the lack of water sources in the city is another drawback, one official said.

He had warned that it would be a mess if a high-rise building caught fire as most buildings have little or no firefighting equipment installed in them and the fire department has very little equipment to deal with fires on high-rise buildings.

Many high-rise buildings in the capital have not installed firefighting equipment, which is mandatory according to the Fire Protection Act 2003.

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