“The Pessimist Sees Difficulty In Every Opportunity.
The Optimist Sees Opportunity In Every Difficulty.”

The weather-beaten, battle-scarred Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) has something to cheer about even as it grapples with an alarming rise in the number of fire incidents in the metropolis. The recent budget by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) for the year 2024-25 has made a provision of Rs 232 crore, three more fire-fighting centres and a plethora of facilities that will provide more teeth to the MFB.

The enhanced budget and provision of better facilities is understandable given the exponential rise in the number of fire-related incidents in the city that continues to grow unbridled and vertically with new high-rises springing up across its length and breadth. Just how challenging the task before the Mumbai Fire Brigade is can be gauged by the fact that over 33 lives were lost, the highest since 2020. The megapolis recorded the highest number of calls relating to fire disasters in four years, a staggering 154% jump in fatalities.

According to the data, the MFB received 4,721 fire calls between January and December so far this year, while 290 persons were injured and over 33 people lost their lives — more than double the numbers in 2022. The data also state that during Diwali this year, MFB recorded 655 calls which is the highest, followed by 519 in February and 503 in June.

Majority of the fire incidents originate from the electrical parts of the building such as circuit box, meter box or wiring panels. This happens due to shoddy electrical installations that don’t get checked for long. Seeking a mandatory provision for electrical audits in residential and commercial buildings, the BMC and MFB have been coordinating with the state’s energy department to incorporate guidelines,” according to a senior MFB official.

The intention of the civic body is to ensure prompt safety and mitigation and that these should not be hamstrung in the wake of inadequate machinery and manpower. The new fire-fighting centres are slated to come up in 2024-25 at Juhu Tara Road (Santacruz) Mahul Marg (Chembur) and in Tilak Nagar. Work will be initiated under the supervision of the City Engineer’s Department. Meanwhile, the new centres at Thakur Village (Kandivali) and LBS Marg (Kanjur Marg) will roll up sleeves to stave off any eventualities that may arise.

Mumbai city has 35 big and 19 small fire brigade centres and with the new three centres coming up as also the ones that are almost ready, the burden on other centres will reduce considerably. What it means is quicker response time that will help saving precious lives and property. Three fire tenders and three jumbo tankers will be purchased by the department. Similarly, the fire brigade will buy fire drones for fire-fighting, monitoring and assessment next year. Depending on the intensity and gravity of the fire and building collapses, simulation system provided in the budget will be an effective tool in safety drills.

Fire stations are normally equipped with specialised equipment, such as firefighting and rescue vehicles, Ambulances, breathing apparatus, hydraulic rescue tools, electric chain saws, concrete or steel cutters, chemical protective suits, fire proximity suits, rescue rocket devices, self/rope rescue devices and search cameras.

In recent years, the requirements for fire safety cover have increased manifold whereas the development of Fire Service has not made much headway.  The setting up of Industrial Plants at a fast pace with extensive use of hazardous materials and the construction of larger and taller buildings have multiplied the problems of fire-fighting.  The fire hazards are no longer confined to big cities and manufacturing centers alone.  Vast quantities of hazardous commodities are daily moved by different modes of transport all across the country posing complicated fire rescue problems. If the objective of ensuring safety of life and property in cities like Mumbai is to be achieved, the fire services need to be equipped with adequate infrastructure to keep pace with advancement of technology and economic growth.

Expressing satisfaction with the budget provision, Mr Santosh Warick, Hon Director, Maharashtra Fire Services, pointed out that National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) projected a requirement of Rs. 7000 crore to the 13^th Finance Commission for revamping Fire and Emergency Services in the country. The Commission recognizing the need to restructure Fire and Emergency Services across the urban and rural areas of the country recommended that a portion of the grants provided to the urban local bodies be spent on revamping of Fire Services within their respective jurisdiction. He said the 15^th Finance Commission had projected a shortfall with a Rs 5000 crore provision for the four phases of disaster management cycles viz. preparedness, response, recovery & reconstruction and mitigation.

Mr Warick said the new centres as also the additional facilities to the fire brigade will certainly improve the capabilities of the brigade and its response time to fire-related emergencies.

While the Centre will provide Rs. 5000 crore to the States or identified activities, the States’ contribution will be of Rs. 1387.99 Crore. In addition, an amount of Rs. 500 crore, out of the total central outlay of Rs. 5000 crore is available for incentivizing the States for adoption of legal and infrastructure-based reforms. Fire Service is a State subject and has been included as a Municipal function in the XII Schedule of the Constitution of India.