PUNE: The National Fire and Evacuation Drill Day was celebrated at 32 schools across the city on January 21 with a series of events including evacuation and fire drill by the fire departments of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority and Pune Cantonment Board. 

Students of St Joseph Boys’ School in Khadki received hands-on training from the fire brigade officials, who demonstrated ways of protecting and preventing a fire from spreading. Students were trained in how to save themselves.  

The Safe Kids Foundation, (SKF) a non-profit organisation, works for prevention and reduction of burns and scald injuries among children under 14 years of age.

Prashant Ranpise, Chief Fire Officer of the PMC Fire Department said, “Fire safety education is highly imperative in today’s world. Safety knowledge is extremely essential and we conduct periodical fire drills in collaboration with Safe Kids Foundation at St Joseph Boys’ School in Khadki. Ways of mitigating burn and scald-related incidents have been imparted to the students.”

SKF Programme Director Cinthia Pinto said, “Our objective is to help students become responsible citizens and advocates of fire safety, contributing to make Pune a safe city. In the last five years, we have been relentless in our pursuit to spread fire safety awareness. It is encouraging to note that most children are now familiar with fire prevention measures.”