VIJAYAWADA: The government of Andhra Pradesh will soon begin issuing no-objection certifications from the fire services department for structures in the state online. Schools would be the first to use the online system.
The ground and G+1 category school buildings would receive the first online fire NOC. According to authorities, “applications for NOC will only be submitted online within a specified time frame, ensuring openness and avoiding delays and charges of bribery.”
In the Anantapur district, the department would establish training facilities for its employees in six locations, including Vizianagaram, Kakinada, Rajamahendravaram, Sattenapalli, and Penugonda.
One regional fire officer will be recruited in each of the four cities of Visakhapatnam, Rajamahendravaram, Guntur, and Kurnool as part of the department’s reorganisation. There would be two more directors appointed in Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam. In February 2021, a GO was published about the reorganisation of the positions of regional fire officers and additional directors.
In Rajamahendravaram, a state-level swimming academy will be established to teach firefighters how to swim, aid them in flood rescue efforts, and treat drowning victims.
The department intends to create fire safety excellence awards for enterprises that have installed fire safety equipment and are maintaining it in a reliable way. Two new fire stations have been authorised for Korukonda and P Gannavaram.
According to N. Sanjay, director-general of the fire services, the agency will restructure its wings and reorganise its employees to improve how it operates and become more efficient. The state government will probably issue a GO soon that will transform the fire services department in a number of ways.
“We are aiming for a thorough redesign to serve the public in a better way and ensure safety for everybody,” regional fire officer G. Srinivasulu of Vijayawada said.