U.T. sees growing demand to strengthen its fire force

Firemen have been complaining about workload due to delay in filling up vacancies and stressing on the need to procure additional fire-fighting and safety equipment to deal with emergency situations. Shortage in staff is true as we have not filled many posts after 2012, says official

There is an urgent need to strengthen the Fire Service Department by increasing manpower and procuring more equipment for its effective functioning. | Photo Credit: S.S. KUMAR

To commensurate with the growth in population, expansion of the town and business activity, there has been a rising demand to strengthen the Fire Service Department by improving its manpower and adding more fire-fighting equipment in Puducherry. 

Firemen have been complaining about workload due to delay in filling up vacancies and stressing on the need to procure additional fire-fighting and safety equipment to deal with emergency situations. They say that even a crucial fire station such as the one near Beach Promenade has been functioning without adequate manpower. The station was short of 18 firemen, 3 lead firemen and 10 drivers, sources say. 

“Imagine the stress with which we are working. The shortage comes at a time when our requirements are more because of expansion of business activities in the town. The growing influx of weekend tourists has made our job even more demanding. Last year, we saw around a dozen drowning incidents in the beach in which our teams were deployed,” said a fireman.

This year, between January 1 and February 21 alone, the station attended 23 distress calls for firefighting and 16 rescue missions, including removing of uprooted and damaged trees. Another fireman said the shortage in manpower was evident in rescuing people following an explosion in a building at Muthialpet last year. “We struggled to rescue people with the available manpower,” he said. 

The absence of fire stations at places like Thavalakuppam, Kariampathoor and Katterikuppam also adds to the work pressure of the fire service personnel. The stations in the town — Sedarapet and Villianur — have to be relied upon in case of emergency in these three places, said an officer in the Fire Service Department. 

“The government should take steps to recruit more staff and procure additional equipment. Rescue operations in the sea has also altered our requirement and hence the government should act according to our needs,” he said.

According to a senior official, the government had already taken steps to fill around 55 vacancies of fireman. Similarly, vacancies in drivers post will also be filled. Steps were also being taken to add two more fire stations in Puducherry region, he said.

Tenders have already been called for to buy 10 multi-purpose fire tenders, 5 mini fire tenders with water mist fire fighting system and 3 water browsers, the official said adding that these additional equipment were needed to further strengthen the force. “Shortage in staff is true as we have not filled many posts after 2012. The issue will addressed very shortly. There is also a proposal to provide firemen with gadgets needed for rescue missions in the sea,” he added.