Efforts on to ensure prompt response in disasters

The Capital Development Authority has stepped up efforts to upgrade its Emergency and Disaster Management Directorate to ensure early response to cope with any untoward incident for safety of human lives and property.
"Enhancement of the operational, technical and training capabilities of the Emergency and Disaster Management Directorate's staff, fire fighters and operators of latest fire fighting vehicles and equipment for an early response to any untoward incident is inevitable," said the CDA Chairman Tariq Mehmood Khan.
During his visit to the Emergency and Disaster Management Directorate, the CDA chief directed the concerned authorities to purchase the state of the art equipments to cope with the needs of new sky-high buildings. During inspection of Fire Control Room, fire extinguish equipment and fire tenders, the CDA chief said the civic body would chalk out a deployment plan of fire fighting vehicles to minimise the reaction time to reach the site of the incident.
The CDA chief was also briefed about the functions, operational preparedness and chain and command system, developed in the directorate Director General Civic Management Syed Mustafain Kazmi informed the CDA chief that the directorate was planning to establish five sub-stations at various places of the city to provide quick response to any accident and backup would be provided from the headquarters.
A dedicated team has been constituted to visit all important government and private buildings to inspect the structures and explore the possibilities of access of fire fighting machines into the buildings in case of any emergency. Kazmi told Chairman that a control and command structure has been developed and the directorate has developed standard operating procedures (SOP's) for all kind of emergencies.
The directorate is also constantly reviewing and taking steps to reduce the reaction time to an emergency and they are maintaining a high level of preparedness at all times. Member Administration S.M Farooqui, Member Environment Mazhar Hussain, Director General Civic Management Syed Mustafa Kazmi, Director Public Relations Muhammad Asim Khichi and other concerned officials also attended the presentation.