Bhubaneswar: DG Fire Service, CG, Home Guards and Director Civil Defence, Santosh Upadhyaya inaugurated the Striking Fire Force (SFF) for the Central Range of Odisha Fire Service at the Odisha Fire and Disaster Response Academy here today.
Chief Fire Officer, Debendra Kumar Swain, Ramesh Chandra Majhi, Chief Fire Officer I/C, Trilok Kumar Babu, Director (Chief Fire Officer) I/C, OFDRA and Bichitra Kumar Panda, Fire Officer (Principal), OFDRI, Naraj, Cuttack, were present on the occasion.
The Striking Fire Force (SFF) is a specialized Fire Force for the purpose of special response to all types of disaster situations and other special service calls such as:
- Large fire incidents in cities and towns requiring specialized force equipped with Fire Entry Suit, Breathing apparatus, illumination equipment and other sophisticated equipments for quick rescue and evacuation;
- Rescue operation in Hazardous incident of chemical & toxic liquid spillage or gas leakage etc;
- Rescue operation in major accident on road and railway with advance equipments such as cutting, spreading and lifting gears;
- Search and rescue operation in collapse buildings;
- Rescue from high-rise building using advance rescue equipments; and
- Rescue & restoration operation during cyclone and flood.
The Striking Fire Force (SFF) comprises three units manned by personnel of Odisha Fire Service. The total strength of each unit is approximately 48 (Fire Service personnel). Each unit is capable of self-contained specialized search and rescue operation, equipped with sophisticated equipments, Appliances and Advance Rescue Tender.
These SFF units are located at three different locations – Bhubaneswar, Sambalpur and Berhampur to cut down the response time for their deployment. The SFF, Central Range shall be operated from the campus of OFDRA, Bhubaneswar, Upadhyaya said.
“The aim of OSDMA is to build a safer and disaster resilient Odisha by developing a holistic, proactive, multi-disaster and technology driven strategy for disaster management. This has to be achieved through a culture of preparedness, prevention and mitigation to generate a prompt and efficient response at the time of disasters,” he said.
“Odisha Fire Service has proved its importance in achieving this vision by highly skilled rescue and relief operations, regular training and carrying out mock drills. Odisha Fire Service has proved its efficacy with its commendable performance during various disasters including devastating floods and Cyclones. SFF will strengthen the capacity of Odisha Fire Service for better preparedness towards disaster management,” he further said.
