MPS and MoT enhance collaboration in fire prevention and rescue

The working session aimed to review results of the five-year implementation of Decree 83/2017/NĐ-CP issued by the Government on July 18, 2017 on fire prevention and rescue work at MoT.

At the working session between the MPS inspection team and MoT delegation, Deputy Minister of Transport Le Dinh Tho stated that the MoT always considers fire prevention and rescue work as a regular and important task, but the increasing number of passengers has posed potential risks of fire and explosion at stations and on means of transport in recent years.

To minimize the risks of fire and explosion, the MoT has invested largely for firefighting and rescue facilities, equipment as well as fire and rescue forces. During 5 years of implementing the decree, the MoT recorded 135 fire and explosion incidents, including 8 fire and explosion cases at sea, 10 cases on inland waterways, 45 small fire incidents related to railways and 72 small fire incidents at airports.

In this context, the deputy minister of transport proposed the Government to revise Decree 83/2017/NĐ-CP by adding regulations on the safety of electrical systems at stations in line with the current situation as well as providing more funding for fire drills, firefighting training and acquisition of fire-fighting equipment.

Earlier, the inspection team of the MPS led by Major General Nguyen Van Long checked the fire prevention and rescue work at Noi Bai International Airport.

At the meeting, General Long recognized the effort and leadership of the MoT in implementing the decree in the past five years.

He said that the MoT and its subunits had seriously studied the decree, drawn up comprehensive plans to implement it, sufficiently invested in fire and rescue facilities and equipment, and established regular fire and rescue forces at stations and airports.

General Long also recommended the MoT to complete a number of urgent tasks so as to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of fire prevention and rescue work at stations and airports.