Firemen go through annual trial by fire

Firemen go through annual trial by fire
N Ganesh

March 3: Ironic though it is, safety does not come first for the Mumbai Fire Brigade, not for its own personnel, at least. No less than a dozen firemen have been injured during the last fortnight -- practising for their annual competition drills. The bitter truth is, the competition is designed to keep the physical fitness of the 2,000-odd firemen and 100 officers in check!

The injuries sustained, firemen explain, range from minor to major including free falls and ripped skin. ``Categories don't matter much when a fireman slips and falls from a 40-foot tower. His life is at stake and for what? A shield and a certificate of merit,'' remarks a miffed fireman.

Pointing to the Angus Ladder, he remarks: ``That's the culprit.'' The Angus Ladder drill, which has claimed most of the injuries, involves scaling down a 40-foot-high ladder to retrieve a dummy weighing about 60 kg. ``Rushing down the ladder with the dummy within the stipulated time is a hair-raising experience. Just one slip and all you can do is pray to survive the fall on to a bed of concrete. The most unfortunate part is when one realises that a firemen's life is not worth a safety rope,'' says another aggrieved fireman. Fireman Salim Inamdar knows exactly how that feels. He has just been discharged from Nair Hospital after attempting the routine.

Still, the Fire Brigade brass appears unconcerned despite the grevious risks. B B Surve, deputy chief fire officer, admits that some of the personnel had indeed sustained injuries but says that some of the firemen are bound to get injured considering the nature of the drill. ``I too was injured when I used to do this drill,'' Surve told Newsline during the dry run for the drill on Saturday. ``One cannot incorporate safety measures as it would prevent the drill from being completed within the stipulated time,'' he says.

To make matters worse, injuries received during practice are not considered as being sustained in the ``line of duty'' and hence compensation is not offered.

But can't physical fitness be ensured through other sports activities? ``These were discontinued some time ago. A fireman's state of preparedness can be maintained only through such drills. Otherwise they would become lethargic,'' Surve adds.