Illustrative Image(Source:timoi.vn) HCM City (VNA) - The HCM City People’s Committee has approved a plan to modernise fire-fighting facilities and equipment by 2025.
Under the plan, the city will spend 8.1 trillion VND (363 million USD), including 2.3 trillion VND (103 million USD) from the State budget, to buy 258 fire trucks, 61 water pumps, and 10 lifeboats and water cannons.
In the next five years, 5,000 fire hydrants will be set up on city streets.
Training courses on fire-fighting and rescue for police fire brigades will also be offered.
Under the plan, five new fire-fighting forces in districts 5,7,10, Ph u Nhu a n and Th u Du c will be established by 2020.
In 2025, a training centre for fire prevention and fighting will open in B i nh Ch a nh District.
The city said that it would hold more fire-safety inspections and offer training in fire prevention measures to factories, companies and owners of major construction projects.
The city will also invest in projects to upgrade electronic control systems for fire-fighting and rescue activities.
Foreign and private organisers and investors will be encouraged to provide funds for the field.
The city’s fire-fighters have been successful in minimising the number of fires, and have rescued hundreds of people, as well as saved assets worth trillions of VND per year.
But fire-fighting forces are still in need of improvement.
Newly hired fire-fighters are not professionally trained because most of them began work directly after their Army service.
The fire-fighting force has faced shortages of equipment, including fire engines, rescue facilities and protective clothing.-VNA
