State govt will strengthen Fire Services Dept: Home Minister M Sucharita

Visakhapatnam: Minister for Home and Disaster Management M Sucharita appreciated firefighters for their dedicated service to the public.

Inaugurating a model fire station built in collaboration with the VMRDA at Suryabagh here on Sunday, she said it was built at a cost of Rs 1.24 crore. When disaster strikes, disaster management personnel can save lives and help victims as well as property, she said.

The Minister said people of the State witnessed bold feats of the disaster management officials and staff who chipped in during the recent boat accident at Kachuluru.

Sucharita said the government had taken steps to strengthen the department and all the vacant posts would be filled by January. The department currently has a capability of extinguishing the fire up to 54 metres. In future, the Minister said it would be increased to 90 metres.

VMRDA Chairman Dronamraju Srinivasa Rao said the fire accidents had made several villagers homeless earlier. But, he added, with government taking initiatives, this has been controlled to a large extent.

Disaster Department Manager Jayaram Nayak said the fire station has been based in the city since 1942. He said that 35 fire stations had been modernised so far in a phased manner.

Further, Sucharita handed over a cheque for Rs 6.43 lakh to the family members of the home guard who lost his life during Dasara. Later, she went around the disaster management equipment and opened a new fire truck.

Visakhapatnam MP M V V Satyanarayana, VMRDA Commissioner P Koteswara Rao, District Fire Officer Ram Prakash, Assistant District Forest Officer Martin Luther King and other fire officials were present at the event.