New building for Shevapet Fire Station to be constructed at ₹6 crore

New building for Shevapet Fire Station to be constructed at ₹6 crore

The oldest fire station in Salem that was constructed in the British era, Shevapet Fire Station is to be demolished and new building would be constructed at ₹6 crore.

The Shevapet Fire Station was opened by the British on November 12, 1942, in Salem. It was the first fire station in Salem district and one of the main identification points in Shevapet. At present, there are 14 fire stations functioning in Salem district including Mettur Thermal, Omalur, Nangavalli, Sankagiri, Vazhapadi, Yercaud, Attur Suramangalam, Mettur Dam, and Gangavalli. As fire fighters demanded new building for Shevaper Fire Station with adequate facilities by demolishing the old buildings, the State government allocated ₹6 crore for the construction.

Officials attached to the Fire and Rescue Services department said that in the past, if any fire accident took place in areas in Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Namakkal, and Vellore districts, fire tenders from Shevapet would rush to those spots. The government had given its nod to construct a three-storey building for the Shevapet Fire Station and the works would start in the next one or two weeks.

The new building would have offices for the district fire officer and station officer, rooms for firefighters, and a parking place for fire tenders. As the work was about to start, the fire station was temporarily shifted to Sengoda Gounder Street in Maniyanoor, the officials added.