Directorate of Fire Services suffering infrastructural blues

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, September 6

On September 6, 2017, the Department of Local Government Punjab issued a notification establishing the Directorate of Fire Services for the state of Punjab.

Exactly a year later, the Fire Department is yet to receive any benefits they were to get out of the establishment of a Directorate.

As per the notification, copy with The Tribune, Director, Local Government, Punjab, was appointed as the Director, Fire Services, Punjab.

The purpose behind establishing a Directorate was that it would give a separate identity to the fire brigade, as it would be separated from the Municipal Corporation control and its infrastructure would be upgraded like overcoming staff shortage, increasing the strength of fire tenders, providing foolproof safety equipment to firemen etc. Currently the Fire Department works under the control of MC officials.

When the new state government formed, Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu had announced that they would fulfil all requirements of the Fire Brigade Department, in which the purchase of fire proof suits and new advanced fire tenders with a hydraulic ladder was a priority.

“Sidhu showed a greener pasture to the fire wing, but nothing happened on ground. We are still made to imperil our lives while dousing flames with the handful of staff,” a fire official said.

A department official said although the state government established a Directorate, the government was yet to implement the Fire Safety and Prevention Act, which is a must to give power to the Directorate. “Despite notifying the Directorate, the Fire Brigade Department is yet to see the infrastructure upgrade. Due to this, the Fire Department is still without power and can’t take action against those who do not adhere to fire-safety norms at workplace. Now, a year has passed, but the Fire Department is yet to come out of the infrastructural blues,” a fire official said.

If the Fire Act comes to force, each and every business establishment would be required to take a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Fire Department, an official said, adding that the present condition of the fire wing was like a toothless tiger, which is just having its physical presence.

“The fire brigade caters to over 30 lakh people, but it has only 17 fire tenders in working condition and seven other fire tenders, including two motorcycles, are not in a working state. Even the fire brigade has been suffering from staff shortage for years. Presently, the fire brigade has a staff of 74 people against the required strength of over 250, who are working in two shifts. Due to staff shortage, employees are working overtime, but no overtime wages are being paid to us,” a senior fire official said.

As per the information, the city has been witnessing 300 to 400 fire incidents on an average every year since 2003. Interestingly, in 2010, 1,098 fire incidents took place, while in 2013, 978 fires were reported, while in 2016, 860 fire incidents were reported. On November 20, 2017, a major fire incident took place at Suffian Chowk, in which 13 fire officials lost their lives after the building collapsed. Even on May 11, 2017, four firemen suffered serious burn injuries while dousing flames at the Industrial Area.