The State Fire services that were transformed into Fire and Emergency Services way back in 2003 have been grappling with shortage of staff and the required equipments, leaving them nearly crippled as far as relief and rescue operations they undertake in response to emergencies are concerned.
Observers say that the State Government remaining almost exclusively focused on State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) which was formed to conduct relief and rescue operations during disaster and other emergency-like situations is leaving the Fire and Emergency Services in dire straits.
They cite the fact that the response time of the Fire and Emergency Services is less than one minute while that of SDRF is around ten minutes to buttress their point that the former should not be made to suffer because of the latter. Things should be balanced, they opine, adding that both have important roles to play during the times of emergency.
Venting regret over the sorry state of things haunting the department for years, a fire officer said that around 250 posts involving drivers and leading firemen keep lying vacant at various fire stations across the State.
Promotion is being delayed in the wake of one of the discontented firemen having filed a PIl in the High Court which is pending, he said. Had the State Government drafted Uttarakhand Fire Service Ac the issues they have been grappling with might have been duly addressed, he said. Though the department had sent proposal to the State government regarding the Act, it is still pending before the State government, he added.
A Dehradun—based fire officer said that department has been facing shortage of several essential equipment. Recently, a proposal has been sent to DM regarding the same, he said.
The equipment that figure in the proposal include emergency accident kits, rope rippling, helmet and cameras.
Citing a piquant instance, he said that the fire department has ladders which are 35 feet high. “But the buildings are mostly as high as 100 feet. One can understand the plight under which we work,” he said.
Dehradun fire service officer SP Mamgai admitted that the department has staff crunch as the number of the leading firemen and the drivers is too inadequate for effective service.
“Under such circumstances, we have directed the junior firemen to execute the work. What is more, the department does not have the authority to issue notice to persons who violate fire safety regulations. This is an imperative in view of the fact that many of the owners of the buildings are flouting the norms with impunity. Things are happening right under our nose, but we can hardly do anything. Uttarakhand Fire Service Act has been pending before the State government. A proposal of empowering the fire officers to issue legal notice or take action or impose penalty against the violators of fire safety regulations have been submitted to the State Government in the past. This too has been gathering dust with the government sitting on it. Things might worsen unless government addresses the problems we have been facing,” he said.