The Fire Service and Civil Defence is fully prepared to deal with Cyclone Mocha that is likely to make landfall on Bangladesh’s coastal regions on May 14.

Director General of the Department of Fire Service and Civil Defence Brig Gen Md Moin Uddin has canceled the leave of all the officers and employees of 149 fire stations in 19 districts of the coastal areas and instructed everyone to remain alert, said a press release of the Fire department,

Besides, eight search and rescue teams, five first aid teams and six specialised rescue teams have been kept ready at each fire station to deal with the emergency situation in the coastal disaster-prone areas. There are 10,603 volunteers trained by the fire service in these areas.

Ambulances, gemini boats, chains, hands, rotary rescue kits, spreaders, megaphones, ram jacks or air lifting bags, first aid boxes have been kept ready along with the required number of firefighting and rescue equipment, said the release.

Also read: Cyclone Mocha likely to make landfall in Bangladesh May 14

Before the cyclone, the fire service will be engaged in precautionary measures to take people to safe shelters. Apart from this, the fire service will be engaged in the post-cyclone search and rescue work and making the roads traffic-friendly. In these areas, the services of the fire service can be taken 24 hours a day for any work related to the protection of life and property.

All divisional control rooms, including the fire service's central control room, will be engaged in news gathering at all times. All are requested to call the hotline number 16163 of the fire station, divisional control room or central control room near the fire service to avail services in case of any emergency, the press release added.