Fire Service receives 11 aerial ladder vehicles to strengthen disaster response

The Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief handed over 11 aerial platform ladder vehicles to the Fire Service and Civil Defence.

The handover ceremony took place at 11 am on 19 October at the Fire Service's Purbachal multipurpose training complex. Hon'ble Adviser to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, Mr Faruq-e-Azam, Bir Pratik, was present as the chief guest. The event was also attended by Major General Md Nahid Asgar, BSP, NDC, AFWC, PSC, managing director of Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory Limited (BMTF), and Brigadier General Muhammad Zahed Kamal, NDC, AFWC, PSC, director general of the Fire Service and Civil Defence Directorate. Mr Md Kamrul Hasan, NDC, secretary, Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, presided over the programme.

A total of 11 aerial platform ladder vehicles were handed over to the Fire Service and Civil Defence. Among them, 5 vehicles are of 38 metres, 4 vehicles are of 56 metres, and 2 vehicles are of 64 metres in height. During his address, the chief guest, Mr Faruq-e-Azam, Bir Pratik, Adviser to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, emphasised that the Fire Service and Civil Defence is the first responder to all disasters, and thus, these tools will play a vital role in firefighting in high-rise buildings and rescuing people trapped in danger. He expressed hope that the capacity of the Fire Service and Civil Defence would continue to be enhanced. The event also saw speeches from the director general of the Fire Service Directorate and the managing director of BMTF Ltd. Following this, the chief guest handed over the replica of the vehicle keys to the director general of the Fire Service. The ceremony concluded with the vote of thanks from the chairperson. Later, the Hon'ble chief guest, along with others, observed the operational demonstration of one of the handed-over vehicles.

The event was attended by officials from the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, the Department of Disaster Management, the Fire Service and Civil Defence Directorate, and BMTF Ltd.