Calling the fire fighters as the 'the friend of worst time,' Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said the government is working to make the Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) into a topmost and efficient service providing organization, reports BSS.
"We are taking measures to transform the Fire Service and Civil Defense into the highest service providing organization with complete ability," she said while opening the Fire Service and Civil Defence Week-2022.
The prime minister virtually joined the inaugural programme held at the Fire Service and Civil Defence Training Complex at Mirpur in the city from her official Ganabhaban residence here.
She said her government has taken steps to make the fire service a time befitting force inducting modern equipment and fire fighting vehicles and equipping its personnel with proper training at home and abroad.
She stressed the need for making all the people aware from their childhood on how the fire breaks out and how to protect them from the blaze.
The prime minister asked all concerned to observe the week keeping three things in mind which include making people's awareness about fire and ensuring their participation in dousing flames, increasing fire fighters' mental strength to strengthen the disaster prevention management system and increase ability to fight the disaster effectively.
She said the fire service personnel were found to extend help in every disaster including fire and launch capsize.
Her government has done a huge task for the overall development of the fire service aimed at increasing its ability and services, she added.
"I would like to say that it is a great task to rescue people (from being killed in fire) by risking lives. So, the fire fighters are known as "worst time friend" to the masses," she said.
The premier recalled with gratitude the supreme sacrifice of 30 firefighters including 13 fire personnel who were killed in the recent devastating blaze at BM Container Depot in Sitakunda and were announced as "Agni Beer" (Fire Hero) and prayed for the peace of their departed souls.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan and Security Service Division Secretary Abdullah Al Masud Chowdhury spoke at the function as special guests while Director General of the Fire Service and Civil Defence Directorate Brigadier General Md Main Uddin gave the welcome address.
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
