Bangalore: Police commissioner Shankar M Bidari on Thursday issued guidelines to police officers on how to respond to fire accidents and how to help and co-ordinate with the firefighters in the event of fires like Tuesday’s Carlton Towers incident.
The guidelines “issued for strict compliance” come in the wake of a blamegame between the fire and emergency services and the police departments on why their efforts could not avoid the nine deaths that occurred at Carlton Towers. Top officials of the fire and emergency services department had blamed the police for failing to cordon off the area around Carlton Towers, thus causing hindrance for the firefighters to reach the spot in time, besides the huge traffic jams that blocked the firefighters’ way. “The fire accident… has given scope for certain misunderstanding regarding the role of police and fire force in dealing with fire accidents, particularly serious fire accidents,” the official memorandum carrying the guidelines for the police officers, and undersigned by Bidari, stated. “Hence the guidelines are issued for strict compliance to all police officers…” They stipulate the role of the civil police and the traffic police while co-ordinating and facilitating the fire personnel’s services. It includes how the police should react and clear the roads for ambulances and firefighters. “All police officers are told to remain at the spot till the fire fighting operations are over and the fire is brought under control,” the guidelines state.
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