Surat: In the wake of the Lucknow fire incident, the Surat Fire and Emergency Services (SFES) has launched a citywide awareness and inspection drive across educational institutes to strengthen fire safety preparedness. So far, SFES teams have conducted checking of 52 educational institutes, including schools, colleges and coaching centres.During the visits, fire personnel inspected firefighting arrangements on campuses and checked whether installed fire safety systems were functional and properly maintained. The teams reviewed the condition and operational status of equipment such as fire extinguishers, hose reels and other firefighting systems, besides ensuring that access routes and evacuation pathways remained unobstructed.Officials said, the campaign focuses on assessing fire safety infrastructure, verifying emergency preparedness and training students and staff to respond effectively during emergencies.Alongside the inspections, SFES conducted on-site training sessions for students, teachers and staff, explaining evacuation procedures and practical measures to minimise risk during a fire. Chief Fire Officer Basant Pareek demonstrated key survival techniques, including staying low to avoid smoke inhalation. “People should crawl to safety and use a wet handkerchief to cover the mouth and nose while crawling to minimise the impact of toxic smoke and gases,” Pareek said.Fire officials said the department has been conducting regular fire safety awareness programmes, holding sessions during the first week of every month at one hospital and one educational institute in each fire zone. Participants are trained in the use of firefighting equipment, evacuation procedures and coordinated emergency response. Mock drills are also conducted to assess preparedness and improve response time during real-life emergencies.
