NDMA 15TH FORMATION DAY PUTS FIRE SAFETY IN THE SPOTLIGHT
26th November 2019
Presided over by the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri G. Kishan Reddy, the 15th Formation day of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in New Delhi saw delegates debate the key theme of fire safety in India, a major element of disaster risk reduction.
Held on 26th September, this important one-day event was attended by the Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary Dr P K Mishra along with senior officials from leading industry associations and government bodies including the NDMA, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), Ministries and Departments of the Central Government and State Governments, State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs) and Fire and Forest Departments of various States.
Talking about fire safety in his valedictory address, Dr P K Mishra emphasised the need for fire risk mitigation planning in urban areas and that different fires – residential, commercial, rural, urban, forest and industrial – present different challenges all requiring specific strategies. He also called for regular fire safety audits and prioritising preventative measures across all critical infrastructure, shopping complexes, commercial establishments and government buildings.
Concluding, he said: “Fire preparedness requires all relevant stakeholders - from the national, right up to the local and community level - to come together.”
In his presentation entitled Enforcing Rules and Regulations properly and Community Participation must prevent Fire Incidents, Shri Reddy highlighted that the biggest risk to business in India was fire incidents and emphasised the need for a coordinated approach to fire risk reduction from all stakeholders at central, state and local levels.
In terms of challenges, he said that local authorities “must have a clear understanding of the techno-legal regime and profound knowledge of various risk scenarios.” He also emphasised both the need for, and further research into, state-of-the-art equipment which is integral to rapid response in fire incidents. He also stressed the importance of learning from past incidents and adopting international best practices for fire risk prevention and mitigation.
Commenting on the NDMA Formation Day, Srikanth Yajjala said: “This year’s NDMA Formation Day has put fire safety across India centre stage. Once again, it will drive greater awareness of loss prevention practices and solutions against fire and explosions across the country. The FLPFI is well placed to share knowledge and help improve fire safety across India.”
Supporting fire loss prevention education, awareness, training and information sharing at a national level has never been more important. The FLPFI aims to help drive regulatory change and promote best practice. It’s ‘build to last’ philosophy focuses on lost prevention standard and loss prevention technologies that support building resilience in India.