39 New Fire Vehicles Provided to 39 Tehsils Across Punjab

By Muhammad Shahzad | Lahore, Pakistan

LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Information and Culture Azma Bokhari has said that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has taken effective measures to modernise Rescue Services and bring them in line with contemporary requirements.

As part of the initiative, 39 new fire vehicles have been provided to 39 tehsils across Punjab at a total cost of Rs1.884 billion.

Azma Bokhari said 429 personnel would be deployed under the project, including 273 firefighters and 156 drivers. The initiative also includes the provision of 78 breathing apparatus sets, 273 protective suits and modern communication equipment for Fire Rescue personnel.

She said the objective was to ensure a timely emergency response and provide effective firefighting facilities at the tehsil level in case of fire incidents.

The minister said approval had already been granted to expand Fire Rescue Services to all tehsils of Punjab. An allocation of Rs1.88 billion has been made for the project under the current Annual Development Programme, with completion scheduled for June 2027.

Azma Bokhari said Fire and Rescue Services were fully operational across Punjab, with services established in all districts. Rescue Punjab has so far responded to more than 297,338 fire incidents and, through modern and professional firefighting operations, helped avert potential losses estimated at more than Rs794 billion.

She said Rescue Punjab had emerged as one of the world’s leading emergency response services, adding that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had allocated the largest-ever amount in Punjab’s history for Rescue Services, which was being utilised for their improvement and modernisation.

The Information Minister said a project to install 975 fire hydrants in commercial markets across Punjab was also underway. In addition, surveys of 2,449 high-rise buildings had been completed to assess their fire safety arrangements.

She said Life Saver and basic firefighting training had been conducted at all District Headquarters (DHQ) and Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) hospitals across Punjab. Mock exercises had also been organised at hospitals to improve preparedness for emergency situations.

Azma Bokhari further said that more than 5,000 Community Emergency Response Teams had been established across Punjab. On the directions of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, a comprehensive action plan to prevent fire incidents in hospitals had also been prepared and its implementation was underway.

She said the total budget of the Punjab Emergency Services Department for the financial year 2025-26 was Rs21.625 billion, while the revised budget stood at Rs22.513 billion.