Adhering to fire safety regulations is moral responsibility: Pune's Chief Fire Officer Devendra Potphode

Devendra Potphode, Chief Fire Officer of Pune on Friday said that adhering to fire safety regulations and norms is not just a legal obligation, but a moral responsibility for all citizens, builders, and developers.

"Let us come together and prioritize the safety of ourselves and our community to make Pune a fire-free city," he added. 

According to the Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act, 2006, it is mandatory for owners/occupiers to furnish ‘Form B’ issued by a licensed agency twice a year, in January and July. This pertains to the maintenance of existing fire prevention and life safety measures in the structure. 

However, despite repeated reminders to comply with the act, some societies fail to do so.

He was speaking after paying tribute to the martyrs at Pune Fire Brigade Headquarters. Maharashtra is observing Fire Service Week from April 14.

Remembering martyrs

Notably, every year on April 14, homage is paid to the brave fire force personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty. It was on this day in 1944, as many as 66 personnel of the Bombay Fire Brigade died during a fire fighting operation on board a ship, SS Port Stikinis that was berthed at the Victoria deck and laden with explosives, including cotton bales and oil drums, to the tune of 1200 tonnes. It's called Martyr's Day because everyone honours the courageous firefighters who sacrificed their lives to save lives and assets. The main aim of the week is to increase awareness among civilians to ascertain their preparedness to fight fire emergencies.

This year's theme is "Awareness in Fire Safety for Growth of National Infrastructure (AGNI)". All the fire brigade departments of Maharashtra are ready to conduct awareness programs and training programs for civilians to make them self-sufficient to fight the fire.