City fire services on the brink with over 80% Staff Shortage

Time of India

3 days ago

Nagpur: The city's firefighting infrastructure is teetering on the edge of collapse, with station officer posts lying vacant at five key units — including NMC's fire training centre in Kalamna and four fire stations at Civil Lines, Pachpaoli, Lakadganj, and Trimurti Nagar.
Compounding the crisis, over 80% of the sanctioned posts in the fire department remain vacant or are filled on a temporary basis, leaving the entire system overstretched and dangerously under-resourced.
Out of 872 sanctioned positions in Nagpur's fire department, only 127 are filled by regular staff, and 56 by contractual firemen. At the frontline, the situation is even more alarming. Against 500 sanctioned posts for firemen, just 37 permanent staff are on duty, supported by 56 contractual workers.
Fire safety protocols require a three-shift rotation to ensure round-the-clock emergency response. But the dire staff shortage has forced most firemen to work 12 to 14 hours a day, often without adequate rest. "We are fatigued beyond measure. Every fire call now feels like a gamble with our own safety," said a fireman who wished not to be named.
The leadership vacuum has hit operations hard. With no station officers posted at five key locations, decision-making, coordination, and training activities have taken a big hit.
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"The absence of supervisory staff increases the risk during major fire incidents, especially in congested or high-rise areas," said a senior officer.
Despite repeated appeals from within the department, both the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) and the state's urban development department have failed to address the manpower crunch. A proposal with municipal commissioner Abhijeet Chaudhari's office for the promotion of 34 personnel is pending for over a month now.
Besides this, the department is also awaiting approval from the UDD for over a year to fill 350 vacant posts.
68 Appointed for Four Months
Currently, NMC operates 12 fire stations, which fall short of the requirement considering the city's growing population and expanse. In a major push, 10 new fire stations are planned in Bajaj Nagar, Ambazari, Narsala, Manewada, Chinchbhavan, Dabha, Vayusena Nagar, Thackeray Layout, Wanjra, and Wanjari.
With these, the total number of fire stations in Nagpur will rise to 22. The process has already begun, with administrative approval granted for constructing a new, modern fire station at its existing place in Lakadganj.
The project, equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, is expected to cost Rs14.89 crore.
In the meantime, taking into account the staff shortage in the fire department and the ongoing monsoon season, the administration has appointed 68 trained firemen/rescue personnel on a special honorarium basis for a period of four months.
Fire officials and urban safety experts alike are warning that without urgent recruitment and structural support, the city could be left exposed in the event of a major disaster. As the festive season and monsoon months converge — typically the busiest and riskiest period for fire incidents — Nagpur's hollowed-out fire force is being pushed to its operational limits, leaving both citizens and firefighters increasingly vulnerable.