Kannur, Jan 4 (UNI) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan today said the government aims to equip the Fire and Rescue Services to meet modern challenges, while laying the foundantion stone for the Fire and Safety Science Post Graduate and Research Centre at Ancharakandi in Dharmadam assembly constituency.
The Chief Minister said the government has not only provided modern equipment but also focused on enhancing the knowledge and skills of personnel. The new research centre, the first of its kind in the country to be established under a State government, is the nest step in that effort.
The centre will enhance professioinal skills, produce globally competitive experts in fire and safety and disaster management, and funciton as a centre of excellence integrating education, research and training. By blending operational experiance with academic learning, it will also strengthen Kerala’s emergency response capacity.
With approval from Cochin Unversity of Science and Technology (CUSAT), four courses will be launched, including India’s first MSc in Fire and Safety Science, two post-graduate diploma programmes and a research centre. The project has received administrative sanction of Rs 20 crore, and the building is expected to be completed within 18 months. The Research centre will be built on four and a half acres of land at Ancharakandi bunglaw Metta in Dharmadam assembly constituency.
Vijayan further said that chemical accidents, fires in huge buildings and natural disasters pose serious challenges to traditional firefighting methods. Addressing these challenges requires human resource development supported by advanced technology, research and artificial intelligence.
Emphasising scientific and technical expertise over physical strength alone, he said this vision led to renaming the Fire Force as Fire and Rescue Services.
