Firefighter dies while driving Rescue 1122 ambulancein DG Khan

LAHORE: A 35-year-old firefighter of Rescue 1122 lost his life when the emergency vehicle he was driving collided with another vehicle in the suburbs of DG Khan Division Monday.

Another rescuer received injuries. He was rushed to a hospital for treatment. The deceased firefighter has been identified as Muhammad Javed Iqbal, Fire Rescuer (FR) in BS-11.

According to report, the control room received call at 1.32pm and 30 rescuers responded to the scene along with DGA-15,DGA-19, DGA-20, DGR-01, DGR-03, DGF-04, DGA-4,KCA-3 and DGA-08 in 20 minutes of the incident. The standard response time of Rescue 1122 is seven minutes.

Javed Iqbal had died on the spot while one was given first aid and the second was shifted to the DHQ. The report shows that the accident occurred on Multan Road near Khosa Pump. A Rescue ambulance collided with a heavily loaded trailer and a house. Rescue Ambulance (DGA-09) was on the way back to DG Khan from Multan after shifting the patient. Both rescuers were badly trapped in the ambulance and they were evacuated after four hours of continuous rescue operation. One rescuer died on the spot and the other was shifted to DHQ. A person in the house with minor injuries was given first aid. The injured victims have been identified as M. Amjad, 35, s/o Khursheed Ahmad (EMT) and M. Ayaz s/o M. Afzal, 32. Sources in Rescue 1122 confided to The News that the high command of Rescue 1122 had given instructions to all FRs and LFRs to drive emergency vehicles without giving them training of driving. Most of the FRs and LFRs don’t even have driving licences of LTVs and HTVs.

Sources further said the deceased firefighter also didn’t have the driving licence even then he was driving an ambulance. Fire Rescuers are specifically assigned firefighting duties for which they are given professional training of firefighting.

Sources added the district emergency officer DG Khan Dr Natiq Hayat had assigned duty of driving the ambulance to the victim instead of his prime duty of firefighting. Emergency vehicle driving is the job of an LTV driving licence holder, which accompanies a rescue team during any emergency, but in this specific case, no driver was available for the emergency vehicle. Rescue 1122 PRO Farooq confirmed the tragic accident. He said initially the officers of Rescue 1122 are focusing on the funeral of the victim and treatment of the injured one. However, a detailed report of the incident has been sought from DEO DG Khan to determine the shortcomings. The report will be received within two or three days, he added. He further said that action will be taken if some officer was found guilty. He expressed his inability to comment on other questions of this correspondent till the receiving of final report from the district.