JOIN USThere is a decline of around 15 per cent in deaths in fire across the national capital in 2011 compared to 2010, fire official said on Friday.
“In 2011, 375 deaths were reported as compared to 447 death in 2010,” said A K Sharma, director, Delhi Fire Services.
The fire service received 22,441 calls last year from 54 fire stations against 22,817 in 2010. The fire officials said 2,132 people were injured in 2011 – around 481 people less – compared to 2010. Last year, there was just one single serious fire in the capital.
“We make sincere efforts to protect life and property of the citizens,” said Sharma.
When asked about manpower shortage in his department – as the sanctioned strength of employee is 3,468, but the department has only 1,850 – Sharma said he has approached the government and things “take is due time”.
“The recruitment for 1,242 vacancies of fire operators has been finalised by Delhi
sub-ordinate Staff Selection Board. Around 500 candidates have been selected and dossiers have been sent for verification.
“Altogether 219 candidates successfully completed the verification process, of them 110 are undergoing training at Rohini and 109 more recruits are likely to join shortly,” he said.
He said at the DFS has 54 fire stations, including newly constructed Mayur Place and Udyog Nagar.
“In order to reduce the response time, a target of 70 fire stations was planned. Station work is in progress and 10 are in final stages of completion,” he added.
Blaze in footwear factory, no casualty
Footwear worth lakh of rupees were reduced to ashes in a fire which broke out in a factory at Narela area in outer Delhi on Friday morning, reports DHNS. However, no one was injured in the blaze which was reported from Narela Industrial Complex at around 7:45 am. Fire department officials suspect a short circuit to be the reason behind the incident.
The fire brigade officials took around five hours to douse the flames. “Twenty-two fire tenders were pressed into service and the situation was brought under control by 12:30 pm,” an official said. The blaze was first noticed by the footwear factory workers, who informed the police, said a police official. “We are currently ascertaining the value of goods lost in the fire,” the official added.