The Odisha Fire and Emergency Services (OFES) has launched a major initiative to completely revamp its training curriculum for firefighters. This strategic move aims to equip personnel with advanced skills needed to handle the increasingly complex nature of modern-day disasters and emergencies.
From Classroom to Real-World: A Practical Overhaul
Officials stated that the current basic training for recruits heavily focuses on conventional methods for tackling fires in residential, commercial, and forest settings. However, the evolving threat landscape, marked by a rise in industrial accidents, gas-related fires, and chemical-biological-radiological-nuclear (CBRN) hazards, has necessitated a comprehensive curriculum expansion.
Director General of Fire and Emergency Services, Sudhanshu Sarangi, emphasised that modernisation of equipment must be matched by modernised training. He noted that existing courses have become too theoretical and lack sufficient practical exposure. "The revamp process has already begun," Sarangi confirmed, adding that an advanced fire simulator training centre will soon be established in Bhubaneswar to significantly enhance the force's hands-on capabilities.
Benchmarking Global Best Practices
To ensure the new training programme meets international standards, a dedicated five-member committee has been formed. This committee is tasked with studying global best practices and integrating them into Odisha's framework. IGP Uma Shankar Dash, who heads the committee, revealed that modules from other Indian states and foreign countries will be analysed, with potential overseas visits for firsthand knowledge.
"We want to transform the force into a multi-skilled, globally benchmarked emergency response unit, ready to tackle the complexities of modern disasters," Dash stated. Officials pointed out that contemporary emergencies are shaped by factors like rapid urbanisation, industrial growth, and climate change, demanding a much broader set of expertise from responders.
Specialised Domains and Advanced Skill Development
In a significant step towards specialisation, the department has recently collaborated with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). This partnership has enabled training for OFES personnel across 12 high-risk domains, including:
- Urban Search and Rescue (USAR)
- Structural Collapse Response
- Chemical-Biological-Radiological handling
- Building Intervention Techniques
- K9 (Dog) Squad Operations
- Advanced First Aid and Medical Response
DG Sarangi stressed that such specialisation is now essential. He provided specific examples of ongoing upskilling: Firefighters are receiving underwater rescue training at the new scuba institute in Ramchandi. Furthermore, personnel are being trained to extract victims from vehicles and trains, with techniques being taught in collaboration with automotive and railway engineers.
The training also encompasses operating sophisticated firefighting gear, managing hazardous chemical spills, and responding to radiation incidents. "Personnel must acquire precise techniques for rescuing victims from collapsed structures and managing hazardous scenarios with coordinated movements," Sarangi added, outlining the new, action-oriented focus of the reformed training regime.
