Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday said Uttar Pradesh will soon become the first state in the country to have fire stations at the tehsil level.

He added that over 70 fire stations have been set up across the state in the last seven years.

The chief minister was speaking at an event where he virtually inaugurated and laid foundation stones for 38 fire stations from his official residence here.

Adityanath said, "The UP Fire and Emergency Services was established in the state in the year 1944. However, until 2017, only 288 fire stations were established in the state, while in the last 7 years, over 70 new fire stations have been set up. Today, we are moving ahead to become the first state in the country to have fire stations at the tehsil level."

The chief minister also flagged off 35 firefighting vehicles during the event.

"We have advanced the programme of extensive reforms in law enforcement. As a result, rapid modernisation is taking place in fire services in view of its importance in dealing with emergencies. So far, we have allocated approximately Rs 1,400 crore for the strengthening of departmental services," he said.

Adityanath emphasised the need to prioritise reducing response times for fire tenders to mitigate loss of life and property.

The chief minister said that reducing department response time will strengthen the common man's trust in the department and the government.

"We must ensure that help reaches people immediately after a fire incident. Training and counselling of children in schools and colleges regarding precautionary and rescue measures should be part of the programme. This is crucial not only to rely on the department during normal days but also to initiate prevention as soon as an incident occurs," he said.

"Significant enhancements have been made in this area in recent years, resulting in the saving of 3,780 lives in more than 33,000 fire incidents. Furthermore, lives of over 5,000 animals and properties valued at Rs 150 crore were also saved from getting damaged," he said.

"The department remains vigilant in managing crop fires during hot winds and has focused on modernising emergency services to address these concerns," he added.

The government has not only modernised fire services, but has also established the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) in the state, he said.

He later visited an exhibition organised by the department and got information about firefighting equipment from the officials.