DHAKA: Fire Services and Civil Defense department is going to be formed a Special Response Team consisting of 60-person to face any kind of large scale natural disaster.

Director General of Fire Services and Civil Defense Brigadier General Ali Ahmed Khan told this in a special interview to banglanews, country’s leading online news portal.

He said, “Considering Dhaka as a very risky-zone, two teams consisting of 30-member, has been formed for disaster management.”

They were chosen from divisional fire stations and given special training. Besides, Special Fire Fighting Team and Rescue Team will assist them, he said.

Ali Ahmed also said, “We have sought government’s permission to form nine more Special Response Team in this purpose.”

He also emphasized about dividing specific responsibilities among electricity, gas and other related sectors because during any large scale disaster like earthquake, that doesn’t provide any forecast, situation in Dhaka might be massacred. It won’t be possible to divide responsibilities, working areas at that moment.

“Otherwise, situation would get worse,” he also said.

In 2010, Fire Service planned to recruit 62,000 urban volunteers, who will be trained to disaster management, of whom 26,000 have already been recruited in Dhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet, Khulna, Rajshahi, Rangpur and Mymensingh.

Volunteers are well aware about local aqueducts which help a lot in the task of extinguishing fire, Ali Ahmad Khan added.

He also urged people to construct buildings following building codes strictly and to be more conscious about post-disaster activities.

Fire Services and Civil Defense Director told banglanews that there are 273 fire service stations in the country at this moment, which will be increased to 549, with doubling current manpower.

BDST: 1932 HRS, APR 23, 2014