Fire dept to up safety measures for Lairai jatra with additional officers and tenders

Panaji: Based on an onsite inspection conducted on Saturday morning, the Bicholim fire station proposed deputing three fire tenders at and around the Lairai temple during the upcoming Shri Devi Lairai Jatra in Shirgao.Last year, two fire tenders were deployed at the site where Bicholim fire station is deputed yearly to prevent any fire or emergency mishaps.Fire officer Rahul Desai said, “The inspection was conducted to ascertain how much provision needs to be made for fire safety and crowd control at the venue this year. We are going to be prepared for any situation and will be taking similar measures on the ground. The director of fire and emergency services, Nitin Raiker, also reviewed the site and asked for more safety arrangements at the site this year.”A high-level coordination meeting was convened by the collector and district magistrate Ankit Yadav on Jan 31, along with multiple departments, including the fire department, to address site-specific risk factors, crowd management, infrastructure preparedness and inter-departmental coordination. Desai added that there would be a fire tender present at the Lairai temple, one would be deputed at the Homkhan site, where devotees walk barefoot on a bed of burning coal, and another at the lake where devotees take a holy dip.

“We would also be increasing the deputation of the fire officers around the area this year. Up until last year, we deputed 15 fire officers at the venue as per the old fire safety guidelines. As the guidelines have been upgraded and with the magistrate’s recommendations on overall safety and additional deployment of officers, we are maximising the safety provisions. A request was submitted to the director for more officers,” Desai told TOI.The fire services will also heavily rely on technology, using body cameras to review the situation on the day of the event in real time. “We proposed to the director to use PoC radios to communicate with the officers to detect any mishap at the event, as well as body cameras,” Desai said.