In a bid to address the critical manpower shortages in the Delhi Fire Service (DFS), the Delhi government is considering engaging former Agniveers to fill operational posts. The proposal was discussed during a meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on Monday, chaired by Lieutenant Governor TS Sandhu, just days after a devastating fire in south Delhi claimed 22 lives.
Meeting Highlights and Key Attendees
The meeting, held at Lok Niwas, was attended by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Home Minister Ashish Sood, PWD Minister Parvesh Verma, and senior officials from the police and various departments. During the session, Sandhu suggested exploring the engagement of ex-Agniveers to bridge staffing gaps in firefighting roles.
“To strengthen the fire department’s workforce, suggested exploring the engagement of ex-Agniveers to address existing vacancies. Directed teams constituted last week to submit their action-taken reports (ATRs) in a time-bound manner,” Sandhu stated in a post on X.
Current Manpower Crisis in DFS
Officials revealed that the meeting also focused on strengthening fire services, improving citizen oversight, and filling vacancies. The Delhi Fire Service is facing a serious manpower crunch. According to a recent report, out of 3,633 sanctioned posts, 1,030 are vacant, while 412 are filled by contractual staff. In the critical fire operator category, 552 posts out of 2,367 remain unfilled, with 312 contractual fire operators currently employed. Recruitment has not been conducted since 2011-12.
Agniveers are recruited under the Agnipath scheme and serve in the armed forces for four years. An official noted that after the suggestion from the LG, the government will work out the modalities for engaging ex-Agniveers as firefighters, including required training and terms of engagement.
Plans to Expand Fire Stations
The meeting also reviewed plans to increase the number of fire stations to improve response times. DFS currently operates 71 stations—67 regular and four daytime stations. A 2011 study commissioned by the Home Ministry estimated that Delhi would need 99 fire stations to adequately cover the city.
Strengthening Fire Safety Regulations
Home Minister Ashish Sood suggested enforcing Section 32 of the Delhi Fire Services Act, 2007, which mandates fire prevention and safety measures for all multi-storey buildings in the capital, regardless of whether they require a fire safety certificate under the Act. Currently, only buildings above 15 metres need a fire safety no-objection certificate from DFS. “The move will expand the ambit of fire safety enforcement and ensure that basic fire prevention measures are adopted across all multi-storey structures to enhance public safety,” an official explained.
