Accent on safety
WHEN 90 children were burnt to death in an ill-equipped school in Kumbakonam on July 16, 2004, the nation's conscience was stirred. People were arrested; schools were asked to replace the thatched roofs or close down; ex gratia payments were granted; injured children were provided special treatment, and more. The tragedy could have been avoided had the system been more sensitive to human safety than to channels that open up to smoothen the process of evading building safety norms.
A table prepared by the Loss Prevention Association of India shows that roughly 10 per cent of natural and accidental deaths in India in 2000 were caused by fire. Some of the data under "Explosion", "Suffocation" and "Stampede" could have been caused by or resulted in a fire that killed people, but even if you ignored the hair-splitting, you cannot deny that most fire-related deaths can be avoided.
St. John Ambulance, Tamil Nadu chapter, has produced English and Tamil CDs that highlight ways to prevent fire disasters. The English CD (duration: 24m 36.12s) - "Fire: A Friend And A Foe" - shows how carelessness can lead to disaster. The precautions needed in the kitchen or while wiring up the home or during the Festival of Lights are easy to follow.
Both the versions, loaded with simple-to-follow instructions, are gripping and the narration excellent. A glimpse of the Kumbakonam tragedy, first aid techniques for burns, carrying children down a ladder, or the care needed to handle electrical fires will keep the viewer focussed. The section on the Snorkel to fight blazes in high rises could have been shortened and the large countdown timer deleted.
The Tamil Nadu Home Department Demand Note No. 22 (Item VIII-b) of 2005 states, "All efforts are being taken to reduce the response time further." It means that the response time of the fire brigade to swing into action and reach a trouble spot can be reduced. However, one of the factors delaying the fire brigade is the insensitivity of road users in India. There is no law yet to freeze the traffic and allow fire brigade vehicles and ambulances a clear passage.
St. John Ambulance, Tamil Nadu chapter (No.1, Mayor V. R. Ramanathan Road (East), Chetpet, Chennai 600031, phone: 28194630, 28191707) has spent Rs.6.5 lakhs on making the CDs and has priced each CD at Rs.100. For students and institutions, the price is Rs.80 for each CD.
As the issues raised in the CD are important, the movie may have to be screened repeatedly for the message to sink permanently in young minds. Obviously, the time spent will be worth it - in terms of long-term benefit to society.
GOUTAM GHOSH
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