May 05, 2007	Saturday	Rabi-us-Sani 17, 1428

LAHORE, May 4: Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi has said an international-standard fire fighting service will be launched in the provincial metropolis on May 25. Another 12 cities will have the facility later on.

Presiding over a high-level meeting held here on Friday to review the progress on establishment of the Rescue-1122 and fire fighting service centres in various cities in Punjab, he said the latest facility would be equipped with modern gadgetry and manned by trained staff to cope with any emergency.

After the success of the Rescue-1122 emergency service in Lahore, he said, 37 modern centres of emergency and fire fighting service were being set up in 12 cities, including Multan, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Sahiwal and Rahim Yar Khan, the cities in southern Punjab.

He said the centres were also being established in Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Sialkot, Murree and Faisalabad.

He said the ambulances, equipped with qualified staff and modern gadgetry, had been linked with central station through wireless.

An awareness campaign for the guidance of the public to cope with any emergency was also being accelerated and emergency service reform seminars and workshops would be held next month. The meeting was informed that Rescue-1122 had so far provided assistance to more than 46,000 victims of accidents and other mishaps.—Reporter