Mini Fire Brigade in Bangladesh tests Operations

GIDRM, in association with its partners, organized a 5-day training program from 6-10 August 2017, at the first integrated Mini Fire Brigade (MFB) station, a risk management and rapid response unit established in the industrial cluster of Kashimpur, Gazipur, Bangladesh. The program included training on fire safety and fire safety inspection processes and techniques and a localized training on fire-fighting strategy and tactics with the nine newly deployed full-time fire service professionals of the Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defense (BFSCD) as well as six industrial fire fighters from DBL Group that are complementing the full-time BFSCD staff on a voluntary basis. Moreover, 14 additional participants from BFSCD also attended the training to acquire knowledge on the above-mentioned areas so that they can support the MFB in future when required. The program also included a refresher training on the equipment which was handed over to BFSCD in 2015.

The Mini Fire Brigade is designed to mitigate risk and institute a high level of prevention and preparedness as well as to deliver timely and effective first response within the industry cluster and surrounding communities. With the knowledge acquired in the 5-day training program, the recruited full-time fire fighters and volunteers are better equipped to increase risk prevention and improve firefighting tactics.

Based on a public-private partnership, the Mini Fire Brigade is a joint initiative of the Dual Brothers Limited (DBL) Group, BFSCD, the Fire Brigade of Bonn (Germany) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH within the framework of the GIDRM.

GIDRM closely cooperates with the GIZ team of the project “Promotion of Social and Environmental Standards in the Industry” (PSES), commissioned by the BMZ.

Cover photo: © Christian Poschmann