Delhi’s fire department in need of rescue

Working in shifts to tide over manpower crunch, preparing to shut units and outsource communications to third party, says DFS chief

May 21, 2018 01:32 am | Updated 09:24 am IST - New Delhi:

 A senior fire officer said the staff crunch is so severe that fire department personnel are working 12-hour shifts.

A senior fire officer said the staff crunch is so severe that fire department personnel are working 12-hour shifts.

As the searing, peak Delhi summer — evidently the most testing time of the year for it — progresses, the Delhi Fire Service (DFS) continues to make do with less than half the number of firemen officially sanctioned for it yet again this year.

That it suffers from manpower crunch since 2010, when Delhi government sources claimed its sanctioned strength was last revised, is common knowledge. But what was not known is the sheer magnitude of vacancies in its operational and communication staff — arguably the two most crucial facets of a public authority in the role of an emergency responder mandated, in addition to, confronting life-threatening blazes, with providing emergency rescue services during both natural and man-made disasters.

The DFS, which responded to anywhere between 62 and 82 calls per day between 2013 and April 30 this year as per data recorded by it, its manpower crunch is in the process of being addressed, claim the authorities concerned. Insiders said the staff crunch that plagues the service has reached the alarming proportions it has since 2010 due to years of alleged neglect, lack of recruitment to balance time-bound superannuation and factors like physical injuries and age.

This, even as both currently serving and retired personnel, who spoke on condition of anonymity, admitted that even a sanctioned strength of around 3,600 personnel was enough to meet the needs of the ever-expanding Capital, was debatable. These sanctioned personnel include office hands and maintenance staff.

A reply to The Hindu’s RTI query states that the DFS is currently functioning without 45.29% of its sanctioned capacity across ranks, ranging from those entrusted with operational tasks such as firefighting to duties in its workshops and providing legal services.

The total sanctioned manpower for the DFS across various departments is 3,623, of which only 1,982 are filled. This leaves as many as 1,641 posts vacant, and awaiting both promotions and direct recruitment. In terms of operational capacity — which includes significant functions such as firefighting and leading firefighting operations — the DFS suffers from a deficit of 45.44% of the sanctioned capacity. It also lacks all the four people it needs in its legal department.

The RTI reply stated that of the total sanctioned operational and firefighting manpower of the DFS, which is at 3,312 posts, the number of posts currently occupied is 1,807. This leaves 1,505 vacancies dependent on promotions and direct recruitment.

The most glaring vacancies, according to the reply, in the DFS exist in its communications unit. It is currently functioning without 62.41% of its sanctioned capacity of 133, or 50 serving personnel, leaving 83 posts vacant.

Extrapolated to their respective numbers recorded by the 2011 Census, which are bound to be higher seven years later, there is one fireman each for a little over 2,479 residences, 299 shops and offices, 72 factories and workshops and as many as six hospitals and dispensaries.

A source in the department claimed the communications unit had gradually decayed over the years with no fresh inductions to balance the retirement of serving personnel. When asked for a comment, particularly on the issue of lack of communications staff, DFS Director G.C. Misra said it has been decided to shift its communications needs to an outside entity.

“We are in the process of completely shifting our communications capabilities to a wholly computerised system which will be outsourced to a third party. A call centre will be set up to ensure timely transfer of calls made to the department to the respective or fire station concerned for immediate response,” he said.

The manpower crunch in the service was apparent whenever one saw a fire tender pass by, said former DFS chief S. K. Dheri, who had led the DFS during the catastrophic Uphaar fire tragedy in 1997.

12-hour shifts

“There are supposed to be at least four men on a tender — the number can only go upwards depending on the nature of the emergency. And here sometimes, one can notice just two men, including the driver, on such vehicles,” Mr. Dheri pointed out.

A senior fire officer said the staff crunch was so severe that fire department personnel were working 12-hour shifts followed by an equal number of hours of rest. The officer explained the teeming vacancies meant that just half of the DFS’ already personnel-starved contingent was available in case of an emergency.

“Just think of the toll it takes on the fire personnel, both physical and psychological,” said a fire officer on condition of anonymity.

“The men get caught in a 12-hour time warp, which is extremely stress-inducing in both respects, not to mention lesser interactions with their families and loved ones,” the officer added.

The DFS Director, however, said the department was adequately equipped deal with the situation despite the shortfall in manpower and recruitments were underway through the Delhi government’s Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board (DSSSB).

“We have had several meetings with the Principal Secretary [Home] and the Delhi Chief Secretary, who have instructed the DSSSB to speed up the recruitment process for the DFS. The process is very rigorous and time-consuming,” Mr. Misra said.

Mr. Misra further explained that 357 recruitments of fire operators were on hold as per court orders after some unsuccessful candidates who wished to be recruited moved the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) raising questions on the recruitment process. The matter is scheduled to come up for hearing later this month.

“Since we have to manage with the current manpower, we have employed six-hour shifts for firefighters on the ground. What happens is that a fresh crew relieves a particular team attending a call on the ground in a cyclical fashion,” he said, contending that the DFS had enough logistical infrastructure to cope with “any fire crisis or emergency in Delhi with the existing number of personnel at its disposal”.

The DFS, Mr. Misra said, also aimed to equip all its vehicles with GPS “to bring more transparency” and cut down grievances and claims that fire tenders did not reach a particular emergency spot on time. “We have procured 60 new fire engines, which are awaiting clearance from the National Green Tribunal before being commissioned,” he said.

Former chiefs disagree

Former chiefs who lead the DFS, however, said there was urgent need to step beyond the process of merely filling up sanctioned posts and outsourcing communications in hopes of a relatively better quality of services. Former DFS chief A.K. Sharma, who retired in 2016, said while there was an obvious need to fill up sanctioned posts, of more urgent necessity was execution of a rationalisation exercise — ideally done on a recurring basis by a committee — in light of newer challenges for fire safety.

“There simply must be a dynamic approach to issues revolving around firefighting, especially in terms of manpower,” said Mr. Sharma.

“Population has increased, more unauthorised colonies have cropped up, high rises are getting higher and vehicles are gradually moving from liquid to gas-based fuel, a rationalisation exercise must be carried out not just once but every year to assess the efficiency of the service in terms of its resources — especially manpower — in the face of changing circumstances,” he said.

Both Mr. Dheri and Mr. Sharma were sceptical about outsourcing an internal service as significant as communications to a third party. “Have the police decided to outsource their communications to someone outside? No, they have not. Only time will tell how such a strategy will work in a government department in the role of an emergency responder,” said Mr. Dheri, further underlining that time was of the essence when it comes to successful firefighting operations with “even a delay of a second being unacceptable”.

Mr. Sharma, in relation to the planned outsourcing of communications, said shifting of operations of this nature should perhaps be done only in a gradual way. “You cannot expect the same expertise, the sense of belongingness from a private party in comparison to a person from the same organisation. Someone with prior experience may even pre-empt the need for decisions to be handed down from the leadership in light of a grave emergency. Not all calls are just meant to be simply forwarded, sometimes decisions need to be taken within moments and can make a huge difference,” he said.

Delhi Fire Service – the numbers

 

The DFS is currently functioning without 45.29% of its sanctioned manpower capacity

•Total sanctioned manpower of the DFS across various departments: 3,623

•Total number of posts currently occupied in the DFS across various departments: 1,982

•Total number of posts currently lying vacant in the DFS across various departments (including vacancies awaiting both promotion and direct recruitment): 1,641

The DFS is currently functioning without 45.44% of its sanctioned capacity of operational/firefighting staff

•Total sanctioned operational/fire fighting manpower of the DFS: 3,312

•Total number of operational/firefighting posts currently occupied in the DFS: 1,807

•Total number of operational/firefighting posts currently lying vacant in the DFS (including vacancies awaiting both promotion and direct recruitment): 1,505

The DFS is currently functioning without 62.41% of its sanctioned capacity of communication staff

•Total sanctioned manpower of the DFS for communication: 133

•Total number of posts currently occupied in the DFS by communication staff: 50

•Total number of communication posts currently lying vacant in the DFS (including vacancies awaiting both promotion and direct recruitment): 83 

What the DFS lacks:

1,251 more firemen/operators

55 more station officers

28 more drivers

41 more leading firemen

25 more workshop hands

65 more radio telephone operators6 more radio operators  

 

Total number of calls attended by the DFS over the years 

 

2013-14: 22,726

2014-15: 23,242

2015-16: 27,089

2016-17: 30,285

2017-18: 29,423

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