Fire, water, rescue keep students hooked

The mock drill performed by fire and emergency services personnel showed the students and staff at Manipal School, Attavar, how not to panic if fire breaks out.

The drill – performed according to Disaster Management Act – included a mock fire breaking out at the Manipal School on Monday, and triggering panic on the campus.

The timely arrival of the fire and emergency services wing staff members averted ‘what could have led to a major mishap’.

Apart from recreating scenes of fire and rescue operations, some among the students were also given an opportunity to be a part of the demonstration.

The staff members showed various methods of rescue operations conducted on high-rise buildings during natural disasters – wrapping victims in thick blankets, bringing them down with a sliding method using a ladder or sending the victims down using rope suspension method and rushing them to hospitals in a waiting ambulance.

The three-storeyed building of the school came in handy, as the ladder extended to the first floor. An effigy of a man wrapped in thick blanket made the demonstration complete.

“Whenever any victim is put into an ambulance, it should be ensured that the upper portion of the body is moved inside the ambulance first, rather than the opposite,” Dy Commandant, Home Guards, Ramesh made a point. He explained the methods in Kannada, while a teacher translated the same into English.

Types of fire
It was followed by a mock fire drill, where the students were introduced to types of extinguishers and also fire as classified by fire personnel as ‘A’ class, ‘B’, ‘C’ and ‘B+’.

Fire by natural causes including wood is classified as ‘A’ class fire and a dedicated fire extinguisher having a cartridge with carbon dioxide is used to combat the same.

Such fire extinguishers can be normally seen in offices, commercial places and cinema halls among others. Fire caused by chemicals and combustible materials is called ‘B’ – fire extinguishers containing foam and carbon dioxide are used to put down the same. Gas and petroleum product-caused fire is known as ‘C’ class fire. In the case of fire involving iron, it is called ‘B+’ and different types of extinguishers are used to douse the flame.

The students were also advised to use stairs against lifts in high-rise buildings during exigency.

‘Avoid this’
Most importantly, one should avoid rushing back home to collect things, as it may lead to chaos, commotion and even a stampede. According to an estimate, it is only in 20% of cases that people have died of burns, while in the rest of the cases, it was due to asphyxiation by inhalation of the smoke.

The students could not contain their excitement, as they screamed when the firemen displayed water jets used to combat fire in larger area.

Home Guards Commandant Murli Mohan and Principal Anuradha Shivaram were also present.
DH News Service