Spraying hope in times of despair
Bhubaneswar: A month ago when the coronavirus fear gripped the state, the Odisha Fire Services was quick to start sanitation drives as a preventive measure. Armed with huge vehicles loaded with sodium hypochlorite solution, they went to the containment zones and other areas of the city and to its outskirts to spray the germicide-cum-antiseptic.
The sanitation drive that started on March 31 is still on. Initially, they covered the containment zones of Surya Nagar, Satya Nagar and Bomikhal and slowing brought other risk zones under the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation and the Khurda district administration under their drive. “We have already covered different parts of Bhubaneswar, Balianta, Jatni, many quarantine centres, community health centres and primary health centres,” Ramesh Chandra Majhi, deputy fire officer, Bhubaneswar, said.
Around 150 firefighters are on the job on a rotational basis. Teams of five to six personnel with a vehicle fan out in different areas with the day’s itinerary that could include streets and markets, etc. “We start by 6am every day and return very late in the evening. There are no specific duty hours. We manage to grab a bite on the go,” Majhi, who is also the nodal-cum-field officer of the sanitation drive, said.
Majhi said the training that the fire personnel undergo helps them handle such hazardous tasks and for them the call of duty is above the fear of contracting the infection. “We are happy and proud to serve the state in this hour of need,” Basant Mohanty, a leading fireman, said.
For their safety, they wear personal protection equipment (PPE) that consists of a full body suit, helmet, goggles, mask, gloves and gum boots. They are also protective about their families back home. “I have isolated myself from my family. My room and utensils are separate. I do my own chores and take all necessary precautions to protect my family, who are very encouraging,” Majhi said.
Amid the rigours of maintaining a work-life balance in this hour of crisis, what keeps the fire services personnel going is people’s encouragement. “They often wave at us from rooftops and balconies,” Majhi smiled.