Tribune News Service

Amritsar, July 12

The Fire Brigade Department of Municipal Corporation, Amritsar, (MCA) has been facing acute shortage of staff and equipment. The office of the Accountant General Audit, Punjab, Chandigarh, (Indian Audit and Accounts Department) asked the Municipal Corporation to fill the vacant posts and get the required equipment.

As per the official record of the MC, there are 125 sanctioned posts in the Fire Department of the MC. As many as 63 posts are lying vacant. The department has outsourced 33 employees on various posts, such as drivers and firemen. Only 29 regular employees are working in the Fire Department.

Apart from this, the department has a shortage of 10 fire engines, 25 fire-proof suits, 15 breathing apparatus sets, three generators, two mini fire tenders, two motorcycles, two foam tenders, two water bourses, two light towers, aerial ladder platform, twin ladder table and advance rescue van.

The Municipal Corporation had got some of the modern equipment under the Smart City a few months back. Currently, the MC has only four fire stations.

With the extension of the MC jurisdiction and establishment of outer city areas, the Fire Department had proposed to set-up four new fire stations to effectively tackle fire incidents. As per the city’s population, which is around 13 lakh, office of the Accountant General Audit asked to fulfill the shortage of staff and equipment.

In the recent MC House meet, it was proposed to buy 10 fire tenders, two mini fire tenders, two motorcycles, two quick response vehicle, 25 fire suits and a van. The amount of Rs 11.39 crore proposed to buy this equipment.

Apart from this, now, the MC will also buy uniforms for officials and employees of the Fire Department.

Lovpreet Singh, Additional Divisional Fire officer, said, “We got the equipment under the Smart City. Now, the audit team and director local government also ordered to buy all required equipment to tackle the fire incidents efficiently.”