The Brigade Is Also Planning A String Of Reforms For Creating Awareness About Fire-Fighting In Residential Societies
Mumbai : After the revelation that Mumbai fire brigade is falling short of SFAC norms, chief fire officer Sunil Nesrikar, in a freewheeling conversation with the FPJ, said that the organisation is struggling to meet the challenges of a vertically growing metropolis. But he refused to accept that the Mumbai Fire Brigade is any less efficient, even though it does not meet SFAC guidelines.
“I don’t need machines. My men are courageous and skillful. Besides, Mumbai’s janta is admirable. So many times, when a fire breaks out in slums, people throw their precious drinking water on the blaze without thinking twice. That’s the reason slum fires are doused quickly,” said the bespectacled officer in a crisp, white uniform, confidently.
In any fire, ultimately it is the response time which matters and not the equipment, he said.
According to him, their current response time is 10 minutes on an average, which they want to bring down to 7-8 minutes. “The geography of Mumbai puts many limitations,” he promptly added.
He also said that the brigade is now in the process of having a Voluntary Fire Force in every locality, which will work as the first responder to a blaze until the fire engines arrive.
Besides, he highlighted the importance of having fire-fighting equipment in all buildings and the need for awareness among citizens to voluntarily conduct the mandatory fire audits. He wants to put in certain norms for fire-fighting equipment on under-construction buildings also.
The brigade is also planning a string of reforms for creating awareness about fire-fighting in residential societies.
“We are in the process of having a Fire Act Cell which will have 99 officers. Their job will be to identify buildings that haven’t submitted Form B, which is a certificate issued by a licensed agency after conducting fire audits. So far, the fire brigade has sent notices to around 4,500 residential buildings in the city, of which five were prosecuted for non-compliance,” Nesrikar said, without forgetting to mention that the fire brigade sends out these notices as part of its moral responsibility, since according to the Fire Safety Act, 2006, the owner and occupiers of a building are responsible for its fire safety.
Besides, he stated, the fire brigade is planning 26 new fire stations in the next five years, which will bring the city’s total to 59, exceeding the prescribed 44. “In fact, one fire station is already being constructed in Dahisar,” Nesrikar said.
