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Blaze of Glory

By Pooja Boopathy on September 06, 2019

Although their passion for the profession made them fire fighters, it is their selfless devotion to duty that makes them strive unceasingly to find ways of protecting the lives of fellow citizens from the ravages of fire and allied disasters. Their sincerity to service and hard work during the recent monsoon fury unleashed on Goa is unmatched. VIVA GOA salutes the brave fire fighters from the department of Fire & Emergency Services for their service. By Pooja Boopathy

Making their way through blazing infernos, under crumbling structures, across flooded homes, on collapsed chunks of the earth are the brave hearts of Goa’s Fire and Emergency Services Department who swear by their motto ‘We Serve to Save’.

Incidents involving fire are not the only playground for this fearless bunch who are also trained in swift water rescue. To a large extent, their work resonates with that of the ‘first responders’. In the last year the department received 2,846 calls reporting incidents involving fire while other emergency distress calls tallied to 4,701.

This year’s monsoon wreaked havoc in parts of Goa battering several areas with incessant rainfall. On August 18, the seasonal total touched 3,038.7mm (119.6 inches). The amount of rainfall considered normal in Goa is 2,476.4mm (97.4 inches). Dams were filled to capacity, gusty winds knocked down several trees, many areas saw alarming levels of water inundating houses, and ghat roads were closed after a series of landslides and road cave-ins posed a major threat to the safety of commuters.

Continuous heavy downpour for more than a week in August had the fire fighters on their feet non-stop 24X7. The rains triggered an array of distress calls from across Goa to the Fire and Emergency Services Department whose personnel put in endless hours of hard work to ensure people’s safety.

Read the full article in 'Viva Goa' magazine copy.

Viva Goa magazine is now on stands. Available at all major book stalls and supermarkets in Goa.