ALAPPUZHA: Wayanad, a district frequently affected by natural calamities such as landslides, currently has only three fire stations and 114 personnel to respond to emergencies. The fire stations are located in Mananthavadi, Kalpetta and Sultan Bathery. The number of available personnel decreases during off-duty hours, further straining the district's emergency response capabilities.

Despite the increasing frequency of natural disasters in the region, the proposal to establish additional fire stations in Pulpally, Vythiri, Panamaram and Thandarnad has been languishing in government files for over a decade. The delay in expanding firefighting infrastructure continues to leave Wayanad vulnerable to the devastating effects of natural calamities.

Mundakkai is 25 km away from Kalpatta fire station and 46 km from Sultan Bathery. Employees have to travel 35 km from Kalpetta to the dangerous Wayanad Pass. Locals demand that the station should be opened immediately at least on Vaithiri.

One fire unit for fifty thousand people

Population is the criteria used by the National Fire Advisory Committee to determine the number of fire stations. Employees also say that the requirement of one fire unit for 50,000 people is outdated. In case of an accident, the golden time for a rescue mission is the first five minutes. The solution is to allow enough fire stations to respond within minutes.

Requirement in a station

Station Officer-1

Asst. Station Officer-1

Senior Fire Rescue Officer-4

Fire and Rescue Officer (Driver)-7

Mechanic-1

Fireman-24

Number of fire stations

Thiruvananthapuram-15

Kollam-11

Alappuzha-8

Pathanamthitta-6

Kottayam-8

Idukki-8

Ernakulam-19

Thrissur-11

Palakkad-10

Malappuram-8

Kozhikode-9

Kannur-10

Kasaragod-5