Uphill task: 1 fireman for 7,000 Delhiites, 30,000 calls/year

NEW DELHI: With one fireman each for around 7,000 Delhiites and 30,000 fire calls received on average a year, the current heatwave conditions have only stretched Delhi Fire Service (DFS) to its limits. Not only has the number of calls being received gone up, the nature of fire emergencies has also thrown a challenge.

Atul Garg, DFS chief, told TOI that usually 60-70 calls per day were received during winter compared with around 160 daily in summers. “This year, we are getting more calls from factories, godowns, industrial complexes, etc rather than grass or garbage fire received earlier. Many calls are being received from areas like Narela, Bawana, Mundka, etc that have industrial complexes,” he added.
Garg said many such locations were largely closed for the last two years due to the pandemic and it was likely that machines hadn’t received adequate preventive care. “These locations also have stocks of material like plastic, paper, etc, which means we have to deal with intense fire,” he added.
With Delhi’s opposition parties alleging a delay in firefighting measures at Mundka, Garg said traffic prevented them from reaching the spot early. Though the fire occurred around 4pm, a call was received at 4.40pm. “It was peak hour and it took time to reach the site. There was a long jam since only one carriageway was operational. The delay was not on our part, but due to traffic,” he added.
With a sanctioned staff strength of 3,312, which the department is finally managing to fill, DFS also has to cater to nearby areas like Bahadurgarh, Kundli, etc, apart from the city. “We have started sending vehicles to nearby areas because they call us first and our fire stations are much closer. However, we charge them for each visit,” said Garg.
“While 500 personnel are already engaged on contract, the gap of 600 is going to be filled up soon with recruitment being at the last stage (driving test). Also, many old vehicles are being replaced and new equipment is being bought,” added the DFS chief.
For firemen, the period between mid-April and July is the toughest, for which they start preparations in January. Garg said no leaves were given as maximum manpower, fire tenders and equipment were deployed in these four months.