After cafe blaze, Park Street restos hire 24x7 firefighters, plan more drills

Kolkata: A day after fire broke out at a coffee shop on Park Street on Friday night, owners of some restaurants — worried and concerned — were spurred to take measures to reinforce fire prevention. These steps were also taken in the run-up to the pujas, when footfall is set to spiral up. While three of the most visited restaurants within a few metres of the coffee shop will soon have professional firefighters keeping a round-the-clock vigil, several others along Kolkata's party street are planning to have more frequent fire drills and retrain their staff in fire safety measures.There were multiple fires at Park Street since the Stephen Court blaze in 2010 that left 45 dead. The latest occurred at a terrace restaurant near the Park Street-Camac Street crossing in 2024.Mocambo and Peter Hu, which are housed on the ground floor of Karnani Mansion, and Peter Cat in the Stephen Court building across the road will soon have three professional firefighters for 24X7 vigil. "We have regular fire drills for our staff and all the basic prevention equipment in place. These include water hydrants, pipelines, and extinguishers, but that may not be enough in case of a big fire. Most fires can be prevented if they are detected early, and so we have decided to appoint firefighters who will hang around our restaurants throughout the day. Their sole job will be to look out for sparks, short circuits, and other triggers that may lead to big fires. They will alert and douse the flames in a nascent stage," said Nitin Kothari, owner of Mocambo, Peter Cat, and Peter Hu.He added that three men will work on rotational shifts of eight hours a day. Peter Cat was shut for three months following the Stephen Court fire. "Ever since, we are extremely cautious about fires and make sure all the prescribed safety measures are in place," said Kothari.Karnani Mansion houses more than half a dozen restaurants, including Bar-B-Q, Moulin Rouge, Oasis, Olympia, Calcutta Bar, and Barista, apart from Mocambo and Peter Hu. The building owner appointed six firefighters for these restaurants, said Pratap Daryanani, owner of Oasis. "Last night's fire was an accident, but it could have been dangerous since there is a petrol pump around the corner. We have our own water reservoir apart from the building reservoir, which is well-connected to our restaurant. Vigil is necessary, and the more caution we take, the better. We are heading into the festive season when footfall will soar, and people should feel safe walking into a Park Street restaurant," added Daryanani. He added that all staff members undergo a fire drill every month. "Even our security guards are now included in the training," he said.Down the road, Bar-B-Q, housed in the same building, had a scare. "We have enough safety measures in place and do our best to be on guard. The fire was doused quickly, which shows that arrangements are in place," said owner Rajiv Kothari.More restaurants should have their own firefighters, felt Nitin Kothari. "It always helps to have dedicated fighters to supplement the other arrangements," he added.

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