Inadequate services in Quetta become hindrance for firefighters

QUETTA: The rising population of Balochistan’s main metropolis and inadequate firefighting services expose the citizens of Quetta to a greater risk of loss in case of a fire incident.

The firefighting staff of Quetta that is based on 50 drivers and firefighters situated in only three stations across the city, is faced with difficulties when more than one incident is reported.

According to a shift in-charge at one of the fire stations, Ahsan, they usually deal with 15 to 18 fire-related incidents in a month. But catering to urgent needs becomes a challenge on days when there are more calls, he added, recalling the time when they had to deal with four cases in a day.

The need of an efficient firefighting service in Quetta arises from the intensity of risk its citizens are posed with due to the city’s infrastructure.

Since the population is rising, tall buildings are constructed close to each other despite a ban – this leaves citizens exposed to a constant threat of a huge blaze in case of even one building catching fire.

While talking to Geo News, firefighters of Quetta said that driving to the site of emergency also becomes a task as citizens barely respond to sirens on the roads.

The three fire stations in Quetta are situated near Bacha Khan Chowk, on Kawari Road and Double Road. There is one situated in Shehbaz Town, but it comes under the jurisdiction of Cantonment Board and does not cater to calls from other areas of the city, except for when there is a major incident.

Not only is the number of fire stations insufficient, the equipment and number of firefighters is also not enough, said Quetta Metropolitan Corporation Chief Fire Officer Abdul Haq. He added there are only 15 fire tenders, including three water bowsers.

Haq said they have demanded two more fire stations in the city, but a decision on the matter has yet to be taken. 

Reporting by Rashid Saeed