Corporation schools to have safety clubs soon

[dwarakesh]

It was around 11.15 a.m. on Thursday. A thatch-roofed hut went up in flames in Nungambakkam. Within seconds, a siren could be heard.

A fire tender rushed to the spot and the fire was put out in a few minutes.

Students of the Corporation Boys Higher Secondary School, Nungambakkam, were witness to this at the fire safety and prevention programme organised in their school, as part of an initiative of the Chennai Corporation, Safety Exnora and S.S.I. Development Agency.

The programme, launched at this school, would soon be extended to all the schools of the Chennai Corporation. Demonstrating various rescue measures with the help of his team, K. Rajesh Kannan, Station Officer, Egmore Fire Station, said they would also check if the fire extinguishers kept in schools were appropriate and in a usable condition.

"Sometimes, we find schools keeping small extinguishers, those kept in cars, in the corridors. We advise them to immediately replace them with at least a 5 kg extinguisher. A fire extinguisher should be kept for every 600 square metres of floor space," he said.

The team demonstrated how victims are rescued using a ladder, rope and putting out fire using extinguishers. The programme also included sessions on first aid, covering aspects such as attending to a person who has fainted, has an epileptic seizure, has an electric shock or has fractured a limb.

Organisers also said that very soon, Corporation schools would have safety clubs with student members who would receive advanced training on matters related to safety.

Representatives of St. John's ambulance were present on the occasion. Chennai Corporation Commissioner Rajesh Lakhoni, headmaster of the school S. Srinivasan and G. Appavu and R.A. Mohammed Kamal of Safety Exnora were among others present.