OFES to overhaul firefighter courses for meeting modern disaster challenges

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha fire and emergency services (OFES) will overhaul its firefighter courses to better equip personnel for the evolving nature of disasters and emergency response.Currently, basic courses for recruits emphasise conventional arms drills and techniques to douse fires in shops, houses and forests. However, with rising threats from gas-related fires, chemical-biological-radiological hazards and industrial accidents, officials believe the curriculum and training must expand to meet modern challenges.“Just as we have modernised our firefighting equipment, we need to modernise the courses, which are now more classroom-oriented and less practical.

The revamp process has already begun,” DG fire and emergency services Sudhanshu Sarangi said. He added that an advanced fire simulator training centre will soon be established in Bhubaneswar to sharpen the force’s practical skills.A dedicated committee has been formed to benchmark global best practices and integrate them into the new curriculum. Heading the five-member committee, IGP Uma Shankar Dash said that modules from other states and countries will be studied, with possible overseas visits to gain first-hand knowledge.

“We want to transform the force into a multi-skilled, globally benchmarked emergency response unit, ready to tackle the complexities of modern disasters,” Dash said.Officials highlighted that emergencies today are shaped by urban growth, industrial expansion and climate change, demanding broader expertise. To address this, the department recently collaborated with NDRF to train personnel in 12 specialised domains, including urban search and rescue, structural collapse response, chemical-biological-radiological handling, building intervention techniques, K9 (dog) squad operations and first aid and medical response.DG Sarangi stressed that specialisation is now essential, with personnel expected to conduct rescues during natural, chemical and human-induced catastrophes. “Firefighters are undergoing underwater rescue training at the newly inaugurated scuba institute in Ramchandi. Personnel will be trained to extract victims from vehicles and trains, learning dismantling techniques from automotive and railway engineers,” he said.Staff are receiving instructions on operating sophisticated firefighting equipment, managing chemical spillages and responding to radiation incidents. “Personnel must acquire precise techniques for rescuing victims from collapsed structures and managing hazardous scenarios with coordinated movements,” he said.