National Games Village (NGV) was built in 1997 and fire safety equipments were installed at the time. But 15 years on, most residents still do not know where these are located or how to use them.

According to the Karnataka Fire Force Act, 1964, it is the responsibility of the fire department to check whether equipment are being maintained in good working condition. 

Ghataprabha block of National Games Village. Pic: Anisha Nair

Meera Rajesh, a resident of NGV says, "I am not aware of any fire safety equipment being installed in our society. I don’t think there are any at all."

Those who are aware of the equipments say no safety drills have been conducted in all these years.

Capt. Prahraj, president of Tungabhadra block, NGV, says, "the fire safety equipment is installed in every building but residents are not aware of it since no fire safety drills or demonstrations have been carried out. We don’t know how to use the equipment in times of need."

The fire department blames it on the lack of staff to conduct such mock drills. Shivakumar, IG, Fire services said, "We are lacking staff right now. Once we get the additional staff and officials, we will conduct the fire safety mock drills in National Games Village."

According to Karnataka fire safety rules, high-rises building (whether residential or commercial) should have fire extinguishers, hose reel, dry/wet riserS, automatic sprinkler system, manually operated electric fire alarm systems, automatic detection and alarm system, underground static water storage tank, etc. This requirement differs depending on the height of the buildings.  ⊕