First responder during disaster, in deep distress
DJ Venkatesh
Port Blair, Mar 02: There are altogether 21 fire stations operational in A & N Islands having an infrastructure of 46 Water Tenders, 5 Water bouzers and other small 3 four wheelers and about 25 two wheelers. Adding to this three new fire stations have been sanctioned for Neil Island, Baratang Island and Kalighat at Diglipur.
Unfortunately for any major repair in Fire Tenders, if the local mechanics do repair, the stations have to send a signal to Chief Fire Officer regarding the problem. To fulfill the formal codal formalities the files take about 15 days after that the spares are procured and then sent to the concerned station. If a mechanic has to be sent along with the spare part, then it takes a few more days.
Presently a single Inspector looks after all the fire stations from Baratang to Diglipur and another Inspector from Nicobar to Campbell Bay, each looks after around 6-8 fire stations.
But as per rule every 3 fire stations should be maintained by one Inspector. Apart from maintaining the fire stations the Inspectors have to check Licenses for bar, POL, crackers, buildings, in addition to routine inspection of Govt. non-residential buildings, looking after special calls, disaster management works, office work , routine station inspection etc.
A Dy.S.P and an additional Inspector ranked officer should be posted as per present capacity of fire stations. Presently to maintain all these vehicles a Fire Motor Transport (FMT) functioning at Port Blair. For small repairs all stations located out of station depend on local workshops, if they entertain them.
A Sub- Inspector, Mr. Prabhakar Singh was posted at FMT but he was promoted as Inspector and transferred to Police Motor Transport where he looks after only Police Department vehicles. But ironically still he is drawing the salary from the Fire Station Account.
Such arrangement has not only blocked the promotion channel of a regular S.I from Fire station but also made a shortage of a technically qualified officer, in the field of mechanical section to Fire Station.
Due to his transfer and lack of technical supervisor, the Fire department is now totally paralyzed. Adding to the plight, in the place of the said officer, now a non technical Inspector has been posted as inspector FMT.
Thus now the Fire Service, which already has shortage of Inspectors, has now lost two Inspector posts.
After 2009 there was neither any Promotion nor recruitment in Fire department. To maintain a Fire station as per rule 12 Police constables, 2 drivers, 2 officers and 4 additional Police constables (who will replace other constables in case of any casual leave) needed for every 24 hours duty for one vehicle.
But the present situation is such that in some stations there are only 7-10 persons, even less than half of the required strength, who remain in duty for 24 hours.
The Fire station is the first responder in case of any disaster. So the administration should wake up now strengthen the Fire Service unit with sufficient number of Officers and other staffs. Efforts should also be made to make the department completely independent.
Apart from Andaman & Nicobar Islands, in few other states like Assam and Utter Pradesh, the fire department functions under the civil Police but the superiors of the fire department have full fledge power to take independent decision unlike the system of A & N Fire Service.
The recommendations of standing fire advisory committee (fire) should be implemented in these Islands like other states. Isn’t it shameful that even after 65 years of independence there is no Fire Act in Andaman and Nicobar Islands?
