Lahore: Punjab Minister for Information and Culture Azma Bokhari on Thursday said the provincial government had provided 39 new fire vehicles to 39 tehsils across the province as part of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s efforts to modernise Rescue Services.
In a statement issued here, she said the total cost of the project to provide Fire Rescue Services in 39 tehsils was Rs1.884 billion. Under the project, 429 personnel, including 273 firefighters and 156 drivers, would be deployed.
The minister said 78 breathing apparatus sets, 273 protective suits and communication equipment would also be provided to Fire Rescue personnel to strengthen their capacity to respond to emergencies.
She said the initiative aimed to ensure timely emergency response and effective firefighting facilities at the tehsil level.
Azma Bokhari said approval had already been granted to expand Fire Rescue Services to all tehsils of Punjab. An allocation of Rs1.88 billion had been made for the project under the current Annual Development Programme, which would be completed by June 2027.
She said Fire and Rescue Services were fully operational across Punjab, with services established in all districts. Rescue Punjab had so far responded to more than 297,338 fire incidents and, through modern and professional firefighting, helped avert potential losses of over Rs794 billion.
The minister said Rescue Punjab had emerged as one of the world’s leading emergency services, while Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had allocated the largest-ever amount in Punjab’s history for Rescue Services to improve and modernise the department.
She added that a project to install 975 fire hydrants in commercial markets across Punjab was also underway, while surveys of 2,449 high-rise buildings had been completed to assess their fire safety arrangements.
Azma Bokhari said Life Saver and basic firefighting training had been conducted at all DHQ and THQ hospitals across Punjab, while mock exercises had also been organised at hospitals to prepare staff for emergencies.
She further said more than 5,000 Community Emergency Response Teams had been established across the province. 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.
The minister said the total budget of the Punjab Emergency Services Department for the financial year 2025-26 was Rs21.625 billion, while its revised budget stood at Rs22.513 billion.
