3,000 fire fighters to be on Diwali duty in Delhi

On Diwali, around 3,000 fire fighters will be on duty for two days, and Delhi Fire Service teams will be deployed in over 30 specific locations across the capital to tackle any incident, officials said on Sunday.

The DFS control room responds to maximum calls on Diwali, and fire-fighters need to be on their toes to deal with any emergencies, they said.

This year, a complete ban on the sale and bursting of firecrackers has been put in place in the national capital till January 1, 2022.

However, despite a complete ban on the usage of all kinds of firecrackers last year, the fire department responded to 205 fire-related calls till Diwali midnight, recalled officials.

Also Read | Amid Diwali shopping, socialising, Covid protocol compliance hits new low in India: Survey

The fire department said a meeting was chaired by its director Atul Garg on October 12 to discuss the preparations for Diwali which falls on November 4.

The DFS said according to plan, this year on Diwali, the fire units will be deployed at over 20 locations across the city for two days -- on November 3 and November 4, from 5 pm to midnight.

According to the fire department, fire tenders will be placed at 22 locations across the national capital some of whom include Bara Tooti Chowk, Tilak Nagar, Lajpat Nagar (Central Market), Lal Kuan Chowk, Lahori Gate, Nangloi, South Extension, Sonia Vihar, Mehrauli, Ghitorni metro station, among others.

Motorcycle fitted with fire-fighting equipments will also be deployed in the streets and narrow lanes at six other locations, including Ambedkar Nagar, Kapashera, Chandni Chowk, Sabji Mandi Ghanta Ghar, Paharganj Shiela Cinema, Shadipur depot, a senior fire official said.

Another set of fire-fighting vehicles will also be deployed in the lanes of another six locations, including Connaught Circus, Hari Nagar, Geeta Colony, J Road, Paschim Vihar and M.Road, he said.

DFS director Atul Garg said all the divisional officers will be responsible for ensuring the availability of vehicles with essential equipments at designated locations.

"We are completely prepared to deal with any fire-related emergencies during Diwali. In order to ensure availability of fire fighting staff and to keep all units in ready to deployment positions, we have cancelled the leaves of all our staff.

"No leave shall be granted to them on November 3, 4, and 5, including those deployed at the fire control room, which is the first responder to fire-calls," he said.

Every year, the fire department identifies Diwali hot-spots after analysing last year's call records and data from where the maximum numbers of calls were received on Diwali. Accordingly, fire tenders are deployed at the specific locations, the fire officials said.

The senior official said all assistant divisional officers have already inspected the fire stations under their jurisdiction and they have ensured cleanliness inside the premises.

"All the equipments kept at the stations have also been inspected and kept in ready to use condition," Garg said.

Garg has also directed officials to keep maximum number of fire vehicles in-commission and get them repaired if any defects have been found, officials said.

"All our assistant divisional officers have checked all the units and got the necessary repair work done. They have also been directed to keep all the essential kits, tools, ladder etc in the vehicles and ensure that all the units at station are in-commission," Garg added.

According to fire officials, directions have also been given to ensure the availability of wireless sets in maximum number for fire units and at all stations, and officials have been asked to get defective sets, if any, repaired.

In order to achieve a high degree of personal safety, the staff shall be instructed to wear proper full body protective suit along with helmet and gum boots, the officials added.

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