BY SUDESH BHOSLE|NT NETWORK

VASCO: The Vasco fire station which falls under the Directorate of Fire and Emergency services of Goa state fire force plays a vital role during contingencies in the port town of Vasco. The fire station has proved to be an efficient department as it attends to each emergency call.

Situated in Vasco are various vital installations which are a major reason why fire personnel are extra vigilant. All the vital installations in Vasco have their independent fire and emergency service in order to meet any eventualities. Despite this fact, most of the times, during an emergency, fire personnel of the port town are often called so as to augment the fire services of provided in these installations. If one recalls the time, when panic gripped Vasco when a major fire broke out in the premises of the Mormugao Port Trust around eight years ago, the fire fighters of the Vasco fire station immediately pressed into service and averted what would have been a major tragedy. The vital role of the Vasco fire station became all the more evident when fire personnel recently helped control a naphtha leakage.

In a major air crash reported at Alto-Dabolim, some ten years ago, an accident which led to the death of at least 24 persons including the air borne pilots and crew members of the two naval aircrafts which were participating in an air show, the Vasco fire personnel played a major role in aiding the removal of the wreckage of the ill-fated aircraft and helped in rescue operations.

The Vasco fire station is manned by 30 odd staff which includes a fire station officer, 2 sub-officers, 6 driver operators, 2 watch room operators, 6 leading fire fighters and 13 fire personnel. The fire station requires additional staff in order to tackle emergencies. The area under the Vasco fire station jurisdiction includes the entire Mormugao taluka.

The timely intervention of the fire personnel has helped prevent serious incidents. Seeing the vulnerability the port town is exposed to, the District Administration has come out with a Disaster Management Plan whose implementation has been made compulsory at the various vital installations in Vasco.

When contacted the Vasco fire station, in charge, Mr Bosco Ferrao, said currently the Vasco fire station is equipped with 2 fire tenders among which one is a multi- purpose fire tender and is equipped with foam as well as water. Mr Ferrao informed that the multi-purpose fire tender is used mainly during the contingencies such as the ones reported at Dabolim airport. The fire station also has a rescue tender which is fit with hydraulic tools, hydraulic spreader and is mainly used whenever a person is trapped inside a vehicle, a hydraulic winch and a power generator which is used in case of a power failure.

Whenever the entire area is enveloped with smoke, the fire personnel curb the situation by using tools like PPE. Mr Ferrao has further stated that the Fire and Emergency services of the state has taken various revolutionary steps under the guidance of its director, Mr Ashok Menon. Since, the port town of Vasco is surrounded by vital installations and is considered to be one of the major disaster prone areas the Directorate of Fire and Emergency services is looking to augment its personnel.

He informed that during last year from January 2009 to December 2009, the Vasco fire station received a total 97 fire calls, while 134 calls were of non-fire related calls and cases such as fallen trees and uprooting of trees, oil spillage and others. Interestingly, the Vasco fire station has also received 7 hoax calls which were made by some unknown persons. From January to December- 2009, the Vasco fire station has saved property worth Rs 7.91 crores.

The biggest achievement during this year for the Vasco fire station personnel was the rescue of six persons and the lives of two animals.

The Vasco fire station, officer, Mr Ferrao further said that the fire and emergency services has been modernised with the facility of audio video victim location (AVVL) unit.

During the monsoons, the fire personnel have to make hectic efforts in attending various calls in the entire Mormugao taluka which has four constituencies which includes -Mormugao, Vasco, Dabolim and Cortalim.