Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal vowed to make the Delhi Fire Service a model for the rest of the country and pledged his support to the agency at its 73rd Raising Day function here on Monday.
“The Delhi Government will ensure you never face any shortage of funds. Together we will make the Delhi Fire Service (DFS) a model fire service,” the Chief Minister said. His deputy, Manish Sisodia, was also in attendance at the event held to mark the creation of the DFS in 1942.
The Chief Minister's comments came in the wake of the DFS having executed a significant fire-fighting operation at Parliament a week ago.
The Parliament complex is among the several iconic colonial-era buildings technically bereft of fire safety owing to “procedural lacunae”. A DFS source said the 88-year-old structure did not fall within the purview of the State-wide fire safety norms.
The best of the equipment at the disposal of the DFS was on display at the event, with the Chief Minister being hosted by DFS director A.K. Sharma. “I wish to ensure that the DFS becomes such a model in fire-fighting services and capability that other States can learn from us,” Mr. Kejriwal said.
Issues of manpower, lack of adequate infrastructure for major fire-fighting operations and laws governing fire safety norms for the Captal’s buildings are among the problems currently being faced by DFS.
