Soon, BMCs women lifeguards to make city beach-fronts safer….Sharvari Patwa
After the entry of women into Mumbais Fire Brigade, one more glass ceiling is set to be cracked open as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is all set to recruit two women as lifeguards to be posted at the citys beach-fronts. When the BMC releases advertisements to fill seven vacant permanent posts for lifeguards, two of these will be reserved for women.
Women lifeguards will be a big help to rescue women and girls as there is a certain awkwardness when women have to be rescued by male lifeguards, said Uday Tatkare, Chief Fire Officer.
The proposal to induct women lifeguards in the force was made after the state government made it a policy to reserve 33 per cent posts for women in civic administration too. Women should be given equal opportunities both in fire-fighting and lifeguard professions, said Manisha Mhaiskar, Additional Municipal Commissioner.
Currently, beaches in Goa employ women lifeguards. The civic administration is planning to recruit these lifeguards by June-end. The procedure to recruit will take about two months as it involves giving advertisements for the post and following preliminary selection there have to be medical and other tests of the applicants. We are hoping to fill the vacant posts before monsoon, said Tatkare.
Selected candidates will be trained in first aid and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, different methods of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (which helps a person regain ventilation and respiration) as well as basic medication, said a civic official.
We plan to train these women under experts and if needed will send them to an institute in Mangalore which specialises in such training, said Tatkare.
While the civic administration had recently decided to induct women fire-fighters in the force, the response was dull. Of the 157 vacant posts, 47 were reserved for women. However, the move did not find many takers. Only 13 women candidates applied and finally, only two were selected.
URL: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/soon-bmcs-women-lifeguards-to-make-city-beachfronts-safer/781903/0