Mumbai: After Zen Sadavarte (10) applied the fire safety drill taught by her teacher to save the lives of 13 residents of Crystal Tower, Parel, where a fire broke out recently, the state government is mulling teaching fire safety skills in all schools, civic, government and private.
The BMC’s disaster management cell has imparted such training to over 6,000 students this year. Doctors, too, have lauded Zen, who held wet pieces of cotton against the mouth or nose of fire victims to minimise chances of smoke inhalation and resultant lung injury.
Dr Wiqar Shaikh, professor of medicine, J.J. Hospital, said, “Fire-related accidents can claim lives in more numbers. However, it’s often the smoke that kills people before the flames can get to them. Smoke inhalation is the primary cause of fire-related deaths, due to toxic compounds released into the air during combustion of materials like wool, rubber, silk, upholstery, carpeting, plastic goods, etc. Gases like carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, hydrogen cyanide and oxygen radicals are capable of causing fatal lung injuries.”
A senior bureaucrat from the home ministry confirmed that compulsory training in what to do if a fire starts etc. would be given to all civic, state and private run schools.
According to BMC officials, Zen’s case has once again illustrated the importance of disaster management training for the common man. The BMC disaster management cell has imparted training to over 6,000 people this year.
Mahesh Narvekar, chief, BMC disaster management cell, said, “The civic body imparts free-of-cost training to students and teachers in schools and colleges to enable them face various kinds of natural and man-made disasters like fire, building collapse, bomb blasts, earthquakes, floods, cyclones etc. The training involves how to use domestic devices effectively to douse the fire, first aid delivery, how to make a stretcher by using available tools, dos and donts in case of calamities, etc.
In a majority of schools and colleges, the training is given directly to teachers, who then educate others in their institutes, Mr Narvekar added
