Enforcement of fire safety codes demanded

LAHORE
The Punjab Emergency Service (Rescue 1122) commemorated Baldia Town, Karachi, and Bund Road, Lahore, Factory Fires as 9/11 of Pakistan on Friday, as around 300 people had lost their lives in twin factory fires on September 11, 2012.
The Director, Punjab Emergency Service stated that it was 9/11 of Pakistan as around 300 lives had been lost in back-to-back incidents of the fire at Baldia Town Karachi and Bund Road Lahore. He said that Fire Service of Rescue 1122 had saved losses worth over Rs 185 Billion by responding to over 69, 619 fire incidents across the province through timely and professional firefighting. He asked them to ensure implementation of fire safety codes and did not risk their lives and investment to save small amounts of money. He appealed to the business community and high rise building owners to ensure implementation of fire safety codes and not risk lives for investment, adding that even if they established the best fire service in the world it could not be effective without implementation of fire safety codes. He said that high rise buildings without proper exits and violation of building and fire safety codes would be the disasters of future.
First Aid Day: The Punjab Emergency Service, (Rescue 1122) marked World First Aid Day on Friday by providing emergency cover and first aid to the thousands of affectees of flood-hit districts in all districts of Punjab.
Trained members of Community Emergency Response Teams and volunteers also trained by Rescue 1122 were integral part of recent flood search and rescue operation in all districts of Punjab.The Director, Punjab Emergency Service said the basic purpose of First Aid Day was to educate the community about first aid training and skills. He said that thousands of public schools and colleges had received training of emergency evacuation all over the Punjab. Likewise, thousands of community members from all districts had been trained in life saving measures by Rescue 1122 whereas over 50,000 volunteers were also attached to the service. He said that only well trained community members could significantly contribute in establishing safer communities in Pakistan and they should play their due role and emerge as a safe, determined, practical and progressive nation of the world. In order to attain their goal, the community members were being given basic life support skills training so that they could ensure maximum safety before untoward incidents.