Fire service staff at risky office bldg need 'rescue'

Staff work at two-storey Patuakhali fire service and civil defence office amid life risk as plasters from the roof and walls of the run-down building fall on and often while cracks have developed in the concrete structure.Photo: STAR

The building housing the Patuakhali fire service and civil defense office needs immediate renovation as 42 staffs work there amid life risk.
Plasters from the roofs fall on and often hampering activities at the office, staffs alleged.
"The building may collapse any time. Plaster of roofs, wall turned loose. Our life is at risk in the building," said an official, expressing fear.
This correspondent, while visiting the two-storied building on Friday, found plasters fallen from at least 20 points of the roofs and walls. At several places rods came out while cracks also developed in the building. Electric cables were hanging from walls and roofs making it risky for the employees.
All 42 staffs of the office work and live in the building while three fire fighting cars, one ambulance and one jeep are kept on the ground floor of the building.
“The building needs urgent repairs as we are doing work and living here amid life risk as plaster is falling everyday,” said Salauddin, a leader of firefighting team.
The two-storied building be came so dilapidated that rainwater enters it even after a small shower he said.
It is not only causing our sufferings but also damaging many valuable documents stored on the floor, he added.
“The building was built in 1974 and since then repair works were done only four to five times. No major renovation work took place for lack of fund. Rainwater easily enters the building through its roof," senior station officer Aminul Islam said.
We work and live amid fear as the building is too old for the purpose, Aminul Islam said, adding the second floor was declared 'risky' in December 2010 by Public Works Department (PWD).
"We sent several letters to the authorities concerned demanding immediate renovation but to no effect,” he said.
In the letters sent to the authorities we narrated our sufferings and describe condition of the building. On October 1, we dropped a similar letter, he said.
“We are in fear that accident may occur any time,” said Md Badrul Alam, assistant director of Fire Service and Civil Defense.
Contacted, Md Salim Talukder, sub-assistant engineer for Patuakhali Public Works Department (PWD), said they also wrote several times to the higher authorities to take steps for constructing a new building, as there is no scope to renovate the old one.
"We are building a shed at a cost of about Tk 10 lakh to shift the staffs to a safer place”, he added.
But the shed will be very small in size and all the 42 staffs may not be accommodated there, senior station officer Aminul Islam told this correspondent.