Lucknow: As part of its disaster management and safety preparedness measures, the State Bank of India (SBI) successfully conducted a fire drill at its Local Head Office on Monday in collaboration with the State Fire Services Department, Hazratganj.
The drill commenced at 3:00 pm and witnessed active participation from all employees of the Local Head Office, along with firefighting personnel from the Fire and Emergency Services Department, Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh). During the exercise, a mock fire scenario was created on the seventh floor of the building, with artificial smoke released to simulate real-life emergency conditions. Soon after, the fire alarm was activated and an immediate evacuation announcement was made through the public address system from the control room.
Following established safety protocols, the building’s electrical supply was completely shut down, and all employees were safely evacuated using staircases. Senior officials including the Chief General Manager, General Managers, Circle Development Officer, other senior officers, and staff members vacated the premises promptly, displaying exemplary discipline and preparedness.
Subsequently, the firefighting team led by Station Fire Officer, Hazratganj, Ram Kumar Rawat, carried out fire-fighting operations on the seventh floor using a hydraulic platform ladder. As part of the drill, a successful rescue operation was conducted, evacuating three employees from the affected floor. This was followed by a joint fire-extinguishing exercise carried out by the fire department personnel and the building’s internal fire safety staff.
During the drill, the bank’s Fire Officer, in coordination with the control room staff, actively participated in the fire-fighting operation and demonstrated the correct usage of various types of fire extinguishers, enhancing awareness among employees.
At 4:15 pm, the Assistant General Manager (Premises and Estate) officially declared an “All Clear,” after which employees returned to their respective workstations.
The exercise underscored SBI’s commitment to ensuring the safety of its employees and strengthening emergency response mechanisms through regular disaster preparedness drills.
