Achievements and success stories of the
Department
We work with the motto "We Serve to Save". Every
life or bit of property that we manage to save is an
achievement for us. It gives us a sense of fulfilment.
Yet,
certain incidents of fire-fighting and rescue-operations stand
out by the degree of their magnitude. This page contains
details of some such incidents.
U.K. honours
for fire Official who tops U.K.exam:
21 july,2005
It was
certainly a proud moment for the country and the State. Our
Assistant Divisional Fire Officer received intimation from a
U.K.-based institution that he had topped the non-U.K.
candidates in an examination conducted by it. i
Irrespective of who receives it, it certainly is an honour for
the State.The award brought international recognition to
Indians.
S. Veeramani,
ADFO, Chennai(North),a postgraduate in mathematics and who has
served the department for 26 years, is the top non-U.K.
candidate in the Membership Examinations 2005 conducted by the
Institution of Fire Engineers at Gloucestershire. The award,
comprising a cheque and a plaque, have given at the
annual general meeting of the institution scheduled for July
21.
He wrote four examinations, on fire engineering science, human
resource management, fire safety and aero fire studies, in
March this year. The Godiva Award is given to the best overall
candidates in two categories — the U.K. and non-U.K.
candidates.
"The Hindu " honoured our DFO as "woman of the week"
july 21,2005:
Knight
in shining armour: An artlcle published in The Hindu on
21-07-2005
Ask her for an
appointment and you have to factor in the possibility that she
could be bringing a cat down from a roof, organising rescue at
a collapsed building or shouting orders to her crew to
position the hose at the fire. A typical day at office is far
from typical for Meenakshi Vijayakumar, the first woman
divisional fire officer in Tamil Nadu. Any calamity in North
Chennai, she is one of the first few people to know.
Male bastion, ma'am.
That's just by the way. It's more of, "I needed to reach out
to people, like Oprah Winfrey or desi Kiran Bedi." Reach out
she did, before you could say "Conflagration, Assistance!
(Fire! Help!)" on 21 major calls, the two years she has been
in command. "Hollywoodian" is how she describes her work that
takes her to towering and ground level infernos. Saving lives
gives her a high.
The how and the why
ma'am. "Stand on your own" topped her stern, ex-director,
Children's Hospital mom's list of instructions, followed by
"Don't depend on anyone". She did M.A. (Literature) at Ethiraj,
completed a course in Industrial Management, got married,
moved to Delhi, taught in a college for a while, led a
"normal" life. But "normal" gave way to monotony and she found
herself muttering, "This is not you, Meenakshi." It was time
for rule three — "Be different, do something for society." She
added a fourth: "Go out and take life head on."
I have to work, she
announced to her airlines officer hubby. Wisely he nodded,
knowing she would have gone anyway. Back in Chennai, she took
the TNPSC exam, joined the list of the 200 who survived the
prelim, main and interview and waited four years for the call.
She had picked the fire services... " Theirs is the coolest
uniform! And Kiran Bedi's commandment went: "When you work in
a uniformed service, you get power, you work from your guts."
Oh yeah, the training
at Tambaram was tough. Especially on the male candidates. The
battalion gaped as this married-woman-with-a-kid climbed the
fireman's ladder. She was unfazed. "I went prepared." But not
enough, she thought, when she was given authority over the
heaviest division in Tamil Nadu — 14 stations, 2 thermal power
plants, Manali oil refinery, the industrial belt... a
pyrotechnic-friendly section, if ever there was one.
"Initially, I was under tremendous pressure," she admits. "I
leaped into it and the fire chief, Mr. Dogra, gave me freedom,
trusted me."
Pat for
slum dwellers
That when the fire
alarm rings, ma'am? Blood rushing, bell ringing, this knight
in shining armour leads her all-male crew to the spot. Forming
a cordon, she flags off Operation Fire Douse. Slum dwellers
are the best behaved in a flare-up, she says, and in areas
where slum fire is a seasonal ritual she can count on
volunteers. In this fire-happening city there is no danger of
boredom. At the fourth floor garment godown fire in Athipattu,
she and her crew watched a floor come crashing after them. In
the middle of the night, she stood wondering how to breach the
blaze in Spencer's Plaza. She watched in horror a woman
running into the flames to save her TV set at Aspiran Garden.
She dashed to Sreenivasapuram before the tsunami struck a
second time and put in 18 hours of rescue and clearing of
bodies.
That episode had
special effects. She met the CM, was praised for her work. "It
was unforgettable." So was the Santhome building collapse
where her crew was able to save a man. "I kept talking to him
while we pulled him out of the rubble after five hours of
digging."
Danger, ma'am? "No
big deal. Fighting fire is something we do every day, take it
literally or otherwise. It's an extension of what we do at
home. I only fight fires, you know, others manage horrible
in-laws and husband!" When hubby's on out-of-town postings,
neighbours and servants help. Fires happen almost always
between midnight and early morning, and her young son has been
alone in the house more times than she cares to remember. "I
tell him what he has to do, (and what she has to do) and leave
it to him to decide. Sometimes he misses me, but that's life.
The worm has to break open the cocoon to become a butterfly."
We'll hope her son doesn't read this.
Inspiring women
She has great promos
to get women to join. "When people come out we go in," is one.
"When we sleep, people are all right," is another. "Women
bring that extra touch," she insists. "You take people into
your fold, your motherly instinct comes to the fore." More
advocacy and Tamil Nadu might have the first all-woman fire
service. We'll say "Amen" to that.
On men: More than
your husband, you need someone who takes care of the house.
Handling them is easy, just tell them, "No-nonsense!"
On work: There is a
difference when women do it. It's fantastic!
On play: Always with
family, we swim together.
Few fire
services in the world would have had to handle a situation
like the one created by the Tsunami that hit the coastal areas
of Tamil Nadu. Looking back at the event, while it leaves the
mind disturbed with sights of terrible devastation and of vast
areas strewn with dead bodies, it also gives some satisfaction
that we were able to save more than 1500 persons. The Tsunami
led to instantaneous death and only those who could be shifted
immediately to the hospitals could be saved. After the first
few minutes, our personnel had to perform the difficult task
of retrieving dead bodies. This clean-up operation ensured
that epidemics did not spread.
The
Tsunami of 26 December, 2004:
Few fire
services in the world would have had to handle a situation
like the one created by the Tsunami that hit the coastal areas
of Tamil Nadu. Looking back at the event, while it leaves the
mind disturbed with sights of terrible devastation and of vast
areas strewn with dead bodies, it also gives some satisfaction
that we were able to save more than 1500 persons. The Tsunami
led to instantaneous death and only those who could be shifted
immediately to the hospitals could be saved. After the first
few minutes, our personnel had to perform the difficult task
of retrieving dead bodies. This clean-up operation ensured
that epidemics did not spread.
Deepawali
becomes safer day by day:
Thanks to
the efforts taken by TNFRS as well as the growing
safety-awareness among the public, Deepawali, which was once
the nightmare of the Department, is now becoming safer with
every passing year. The following graph shows the dramatic
decline in the number of fire incidents on the Deepawali day
GUJARAT
EARTHQUAKE
(January, 2001)
A devastating earthquake hit Ahmedabad, Bhuj and several parts
of Gujarat on 26.01.2001 FN. Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue
Services was requested to come for the aid and rescue and
relief operations there. A team under the leadership of the
Director of Fire Service and comprising of 5 members reached
Ahmedabad on 27.02.2001 with Life Detection Equipment. This is
a very sophisticated equipment which can detect life under
debris. The team searched the debris for two days on
27.02.2001 and 28.02.2001 and identified life in 4 points in 9
sites. It is understood that one woman and one child were
rescued alive from one of the points. The first team returned
on 29.02.2001.
A second team consisting of one Assistant Divisional Fire
Officer and 21 others undertook rescue and relief operations
from 30.01.2001 to 05.02.2001 and a third team under another
Assistant Divisional Fire Officer and also comprising of 21
other men took up such activities from 01.02.2001 to
07.02.2001.
FLOOD
RESCUE - 1996:
On
receipt of a rescue call, Water Tender No Tamil Nadu 37G 0243
along with a rescue team rushed to the spot and noticed
blockages to the shutres bridges built across the river Bamini
and resulting in floodwater entering Thambikottai
Keezhkadu and Sembadavankadu villages.
Action was being taken to evacuate the people and
livestock and property in these villages, so that the lives
could be saved and the danger prevented.
Immediately, on receipt of instructions of the officer
incharge of the shutres bridge, Leading
Fireman 4750 U.Nagamani and Fireman 5118 K.Gandhimani,
with the help of a rope, dived into the water and cleared the
blockages caused on account of
Neiveli Kattamani Plants.
Later, the floodwaters in these villages started
receding. Great
loss of life and property to the people of these two villages
were saved on account of heroic deeds of the two Fire Service
Personnel, who ignored imminent danger to their own lives.
People belonging to these two villages appreciated the efforts
of the Fire Service Personnel at the spot.
The Revenue Officials, PWD officials and Pattukottai
M.L.A. Thiru P.Balasubramanian who aslo visited the
flood-affected place, were all praise for the excellent work
of the Fire Service Personnel.
Later, after collecting the accident report, the Water
Tender and party returned to the Fire Station. The Fire
Service Personnel belonging to Muthupettai also assisted in
the rescue operations. This
service is worthy of reward.
Building Collapse at
Peravallur, Chennai on 11-09-1998
Fire in General Post Office, Chennai - 2000
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On August 1 when she joined the Tamil Nadu Fire and
Rescue Services -- TNFRS -- as a divisional fire
officer, 38-year-old Meenakshi Vijayakumar became the
first woman in India to do so. . The TNFRS has 6,288
field staff, 31 of whom are divisional fire officers.
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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa can take credit
for setting up the first all-women police station, an
all-women commando team, an all-women police battalion
and Mahila courts in the state
After completing her post graduation in English, her B
Ed and a diploma in industrial relations and personnel
management, Meenakshi began working as a college
lecturer. She decided to take the Tamil Nadu Public
Service Commission's Group 1 examination in 1997-1998
just before she crossed the age limit of 35 years; it
was her last chance to do so and it was the first such
competitive exam she was writing.
She explains why she decided to take the exams so late
in her life, "I got married and moved to Delhi;
then I became a mother and somehow never thought of
taking the exams. Family circumstances resulted in our
returning to Chennai; I saw the TNPSC ad and decided to
give the exam."
Four-and-a-half years after she wrote the exam, the
first vacancy opened and Jayalalithaa made her India's
first fire officer.
Meenakshi only came to know she had been selected when
the Jaya television channel crew knocked at her door on
the night of July 22! "I had no words to express my
feelings. I was elated, excited. I can use any number of
adjectives," she grins.
Ever since the news broke, life has changed for
Meenakshi. Everyone -- from family, friends,
well-wishers, neighbours and the media -- have been
dropping in to congratulate her. "I never expected
this kind of a response," she says happily.
"Life has become so hectic."
Her husband, a senior human resources management manager
with Indian Airlines, has recently been posted to
Hyderabad. As a result of her new job, Meenakshi and her
11-year-old son Kshitij will live in Chennai and her
husband in Hyderabad.
"It
has been my ambition to work in the government. I also
have a fascination for uniforms! Even when I was a
child, I wanted to be someone like Kiran Bedi -- she is
my hero. I could not believe it when this job happened
out of the blue; I was finally going to go to office in
uniform. It's like Kiran Bedi wrote in her book, It is
always possible. 'If you work towards a dream, you will
realise it.' "
It was because of her admiration for Bedi that she
marked the police service as her first choice and the
fire service as her second. "I had no idea at the
time that there were no women fire officers in India. I
found their motto, 'We Serve to Save,' very
inspiring."
Meenakshi does not believe in categorising jobs into
those that can be done by men and those that can be done
by women. "It's all in the attitude, in the mind.
Women can face any challenge. We have women like Kalpana
Chawla, Kiran Bedi and our own CM working in fields
dominated by men. I feel women are already tough.
Otherwise, how can they take care of a house and family?
I think they are saving lives at home! According to me,
women are mentally tougher."
She is preparing for the most exciting phase in her life
by meditating, working out in the gym and going for long
walks.
Her role as a pioneer makes her feel more responsible,
she says. 'With the job comes the responsibility. Like
Kiran Bedi has set an example for all of us to follow, I
should set an example for those coming after me in this
field. I must thank God and Madam Chief Minister for
giving me such a challenge."
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FIRE
IN SPENCER BUILDINGS
(13TH FEBRUARY 1981)
On 13.02.1981in the evening fire broke out at Spencer
Building, situated at D.No 769, Anna Salai, Chennai 600
002. On receipt of the fire call at 19.55 hrs the
personnel of Egmore Fire Station immediately rushed to
the spot. On arrival the personnel could see devastating
fire which was spreading rapidly due to wind.
Immediately on studying the situation, the personnel
took steps to prevent fire from spreading. In the
meantime, on receipt of information about the fire
accident through Fire Control Room the fire service
vehicles from Triplicane, Teynampet and Fire Service
vehicles from all over the City Fire Stations along with
personnel came to the spot and engaged in extinguishing
the fire. Due to the density of fire Bronto Skylift
warranted to putting out the fire. Nine of the Fire
Service personnel, who sustained injuries during the
fire fighting, were admitted to Government Hospital for
treatment. It took six hours to extinguish the fire
totally.
Property
lost in this fire was about Rs. 60 lakhs and property
saved was Rs. 1.60 Crores
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MOORE
MARKET, CHENNAI
(30th May, 1985)
On
30.5.85 early morning Moore Market Commercial Complex
went into flames. On receipt of the information at
00.32 hours of the outbreak of fire in the complex,
personnel of the Vepery Fire Station along with vehicle
reached the spot immediately. In addition to Vepery Fire
Station Vehicle, Seven more Vehicles with personnel were
sent to the spot. On arrival the personnel could see the
flames which was spreading rapidly. The Fire Service
Personnel took immediate steps to prevent the spread of
fire. The Simon Snorkel was used extensively in the
operation. More than 100 Fire Fighting Personnel were
vigorously involved in extinguishing the fire.
However, about 300 shops were gutted in this fire
accident. Property worth Rs.1 Crore approximately was
lost with an estimated amount of Rs.10 Crores was saved
due to the effective fire fighting operation.
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FIRE
IN AIR FRANCE AIRCRAFT
(5th MARCH, 1999)
Air
France Aircraft AF-6745 (Boeing 747) cargo carrier
flying from Paris to Jeddah - Bangalore - Chennai
enroute to Karachi and back to Paris, caught fire after
landing at Chennai Airport at about 23.30 hours on
05.03.1999. Immediately Airport Fire Service swung
action and began fire fighting operations. Air Field
Fire Rescue Vehicle, 5 Crash Fire Tender and 1 Water
Tender and Ambulance was pressed into service.
Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services control room at
Chennai received the information about fire at 23.35
hours. Immediately 2 numbers of Fire Units from Guindy
and Tambaram were rushed to the scene of fire.
Subsequently 4 more fire units. Including Two Foam
Tenders and Two Water Tenders were rushed to the spot.
Three Water Lorries from Metrowater followed the Fire
Units. Subsequently eight more water lorries also
reached the scene. The Airport Fire Station and Tamil
Nadu Fire and Rescue Services personnel conducted
intense Fire Fighting. Director of Fire Service along
with Deputy Director and two Divisional Fire Officers
and about 50 firemen and Assistant Director (Fire),
Airport Fire Service and 40 others from Airport Fire
Service battled for over three hours and finally
extinguished the fire at 02.30 hours on 06.03.1999.
There was no loss of human life in the accident. The
Aircraft that went into flames was carrying cargo of
clothes and cut flowers. The flight data recorder was
recovered during the fire fighting operation.
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FIRE STATISTICS FROM 1985 TO 2007 |
| YEAR |
No
of Fire Accidents |
PROPERTY |
HUMAN
LIVES |
| LOSS |
SAVED |
LOSS |
SAVED |
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(Rupees
in Crores)
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| 1985 |
8795 |
5.84 |
68.65 |
141 |
345 |
| 1986 |
8937 |
5.27 |
58.21 |
137 |
425 |
| 1987 |
10668 |
8.20 |
60.72 |
182 |
271 |
| 1988 |
10200 |
3.98 |
35.01 |
126 |
148 |
| 1989 |
10330 |
4.72 |
64.23 |
178 |
211 |
| 1990 |
10341 |
7.36 |
64.32 |
140 |
274 |
| 1991 |
12157 |
10.47 |
53.42 |
98 |
99 |
| 1992 |
12996 |
10.16 |
93.41 |
96 |
208 |
| 1993 |
14212 |
10.54 |
100.80 |
38 |
122 |
| 1994 |
11120 |
16.76 |
144.68 |
44 |
255 |
| 1995 |
12706 |
14.28 |
88.08 |
134 |
87 |
| 1996 |
12741 |
46.43 |
176.45 |
72 |
119 |
| 1997 |
13678 |
73.28 |
181.19 |
187 |
120 |
| 1998 |
15146 |
21.77 |
175.34 |
90 |
155 |
| 1999 |
16367 |
13.64 |
131.93 |
72 |
78 |
| 2000 |
16987 |
13.98 |
157.18 |
47 |
77 |
| 2001 |
17697 |
15.79 |
137.86 |
112 |
107 |
| 2002 |
18264 |
14.10 |
114.41 |
79 |
179 |
| 2003 |
16109 |
24.57 |
122.01 |
89 |
177 |
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2004 |
16136 |
13.07 |
130.79 |
249 |
619 |
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2005 |
14,819 |
14.04 |
94.20 |
87 |
234 |
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2006 |
17,442 |
27.74 |
131.02 |
65 |
122 |
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2007 |
21,224 |
26.87 |
192.41 |
72 |
88 |
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