khuram shahzad ISLAMABAD, Jul 19 (APP):Administration and firefighting experts have proposed the establishment of a fully autonomous, state-of-the-art emergency department under the Ministry of Interior to permanently safeguard the federal capital from fires, torrential rains, monsoon flooding, and other natural disasters. Following an exceptional response time observed during a recent mock exercise, the experts emphasized that instead of running Islamabad’s emergency services as a subordinate wing or temporary department, it …
Establishment of autonomous emergency department under Interior Ministry vital to secure federal capital: Experts
khuram shahzad
ISLAMABAD, Jul 19 (APP):Administration and firefighting experts have proposed the establishment of a fully autonomous, state-of-the-art emergency department under the Ministry of Interior to permanently safeguard the federal capital from fires, torrential rains, monsoon flooding, and other natural disasters.
Following an exceptional response time observed during a recent mock exercise, the experts emphasized that instead of running Islamabad’s emergency services as a subordinate wing or temporary department, it should be transformed into a permanent, flagship institution under the Ministry of Interior, akin to the Islamabad Police, Frontier Constabulary (FC), Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), and Civil Defence. This strategic shift, they noted, would enable the capital’s emergency infrastructure to serve as a model for other provinces.
According to the experts, the new autonomous body must be granted permanent legal cover through the promulgation of the “Capital Emergency Services Act” to effectively counter the challenges of a rapidly growing population. Under this framework, the immediate recruitment of young, dynamic personnel against 300 vacant posts is deemed indispensable. To bring this workforce up to international standards, professional training should be provided at specialized academies, alongside the establishment of the federal capital’s first-ever “Capital Emergency Services Academy” to ensure continuous refresher courses for the staff.
The proposal further recommended setting up a completely independent, centralized digital control room for live tracking and prompt communication, eliminating reliance on other departments. This modern control center should be equipped with live geo-mapping technology to dispatch the nearest rescue vehicle within seconds of receiving a call, with its monitoring directly linked to the Ministry of Interior’s main command center.
The experts also underscored the urgent need to equip the capital with state-of-the-art fire tenders and smart ambulances furnished with advanced life-support equipment. Additionally, they proposed the launching of a “Motorbike Ambulance Service” for Islamabad’s congested and high-traffic zones to further minimize response times for administering first aid.
It is pertinent to mention that during a recent mock call generated by Acting Deputy Commissioner Sahibzada Yousaf, the Capital Emergency Service demonstrated high alertness by arriving at the scene within just eight minutes. Following this, Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi directed Capital Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Sohail Ashraf to submit a comprehensive upgradation plan within seven days.
The experts concluded that given the Interior Minister’s serious stance on the matter, transitioning the current setup into a permanent, dedicated force under the Ministry of Interior rather than limiting it to a temporary upgrade remains in the supreme interest of the federal capital.
