Fire safety campaign intensified nationwide as winter raises risk of infernos

The Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) has intensified a nationwide blaze control campaign as the dry winter season creates additional risks of deadly fires, officials said.

"We are carrying out various awareness programmes for fire safety and operating mobile courts against violation of fire laws and rules across the country," M Shahjahan Sikder, the senior staff officer in charge of the department's media wing of the FSCD, told BSS on Monday.

He said they have already held 36 strategic rallies in the capital city to make people aware of fire safety measures.

"We held three strategic rallies today at Dhanmondi 27 and 32 and Farmgate in the capital," he said.

Fire safety programmes are also being conducted nationwide, including fire drills, training sessions, inspections of hazardous structures, public outreach and evening campaigns.

Fire Service officials warned that careless use of kitchens, heaters, coils, or electrical appliances during winter significantly increases the risk of fire. Regular awareness campaigns, they said, can substantially reduce both the frequency of incidents and the associated losses.

Sikder said they have been conducting evening period mass awareness campaigns outside the capital, which include showing videos and rehearsals on how to protect oneself from fire and what preparations should be taken to avoid fire.

He said firefighters throughout the country were staging fire drills in different public and private establishments, providing training to government employees and ordinary citizens, and distributing awareness leaflets.

He added that the FSCD campaign was also focused on schools and higher educational institutions, multi-storied residential and commercial buildings, shopping malls and marketplaces, factories and slums.

"Since we believe prevention is better than cure, we usually choose crowded places or establishments for our training sessions to minimise fire incidents and inferno damage through precautionary measures by people themselves," Sikder explained.

FSCD inspectors are regularly inspecting various establishments, including factories, and issuing notices where safety measures are found inadequate to ensure compliance with fire safety rules.

The fire service also encourages people to keep necessary fire extinguishers at their homes or business establishments, take prompt action to douse small flames and call firefighters immediately after a fire breaks out.