NetApp Builds Whitefield Fire Station towards Community Impact
A ready-to-operate fire station constructed by NetApp India Pvt. Ltd. was inaugurated by Dr. G. Parameshwara, Honourable Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister, Government of Karnataka, in Whitefield today. The 5200 sq. ft. Whitefield fire station, sponsored by NetApp, was handed over to the Karnataka State Fire and Emergency Services Department. The construction and subsequent handover of the fire station is a part of NetApp’s commitment to provide assistance for fire services in Whitefield, as a community initiative.
Other government dignitaries present at the event included Shri M.N. Reddi, IPS, Director General of Police, Director General of Fire and Emergency Services; Shri Sunil Agarwal, IPS, Additional Director General of Police, Additional Director General of Fire and Emergency Services; and Shri K.U. Ramesh, Director, Karnataka State Fire and Emergency Services (KSFES).
The Whitefield Fire Station will service the IT corridor of Bengaluru where the company has a 15-acre campus. Speaking on the inaugural ceremony Shri K.U. Ramesh, Director, KSFES said, “Fire rescue service is one of the most important emergency response services for the lives of the public. Our city has grown at a rapid pace and the need for such infrastructure has also grown proportionately. It is great to see a multinational company like NetApp investing and contributing towards building infrastructure for the community. I hope it will encourage more corporates to step up and create community infrastructure with the government.”
Providing further details on the project, Shri Deepak Visweswaraiah, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, NetApp India, said “At NetApp, our culture is defined by our commitment to delivering the best possible results for the communities we serve. During the construction of our campus, we learnt that the nearest fire station available to multiple companies operating out of Whitefield was the one in Mahadevapura. Whitefield is a booming tech corridor and needed more such infrastructure. We believe in creating a positive impact on the environments in which we operate. This fire station, built at a cost of approximately Rs. 2 crore, is a step in the same direction”.
The new facility includes 2300 sq. ft. of enclosed fire engine parking space for 3 fire engines with a dedicated 29-kilolitre underground sump, to replenish water for emergent needs.
Summarizing the role of such partnerships, Dr. G Parameswara, Honourable Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister, Govt. of Karnataka said, “Karnataka is a great example of public-private partnerships in creating a great ecosystem for industrial growth. Our government is keen to promote these partnerships for the betterment and growth of the state infrastructure.”