There is no wireless system at any fire station in the entire city, the station officer of fire and rescue headquarters of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation told the Gul Plaza judicial commission on Thursday.
Recording his statement before the judicial commission headed by Justice Agha Faisal, station officer Mohammad Taufeeq said the fire department staffers contact each other through the mobile phone.
To a commission query how the fire department works in a case the signal is low or the network is down, he said it is very difficult if the network is down during a procession and department staff coordinate with one another through a landline.
He further said the Gul Plaza fire was reported from the control room, and snorkels, bowsers and tenders were available at Rampa Plaza, but it was not possible to enter the Gul Plaza building due to the fire and smoke.
He told the commission that people were rescued from the roof with the help of snorkels. He said there were three snorkels, two fire tenders in the headquarters, one of which was out of order.
Taufeeq said there are more than sixty staff and four drivers who work in two shifts He said that all three snorkels are used in emergencies by the mechanic and the bowser was taken out first on the report of the fire.
He added that one snorkel was taken out in the rescue operation due to the shortage of drivers, and no one other than trained personnel can operate the tender or the snorkel. Taufeeq stated that a fire tender holds 1600 gallons of water and each fire station has its own tank. He said they have around 55-60,000-gallon tank and Boulton Market and Saddar fire stations fill water from the headquarters. He noted that that fire station also lost power shortly after the fire and there was a UPS only for the control room.
To a query of the commission what they do if the power goes out, Taufeeq said that they have written a letter for exemption from load-shedding. He said water is supplied from a single line and for the first hour sewage water comes, and after wasting water for an hour, the tanks are filled with water.
He said the fire tender from the Saddar fire station went to Gul Plaza at 10:34pm. He said the fire department recorded the departure time of the fire tender but the time of reaching the spot is not recorded. He told the commission that first the fire is extinguished with water and if the fire is not under control, then foam is used.
