BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Fire and Emergency Service has requested the state government to create 687 new posts to manage the growing workload and handle disasters and other emergency situations more efficiently.
In a letter to the Home department, director general Fire Services Sudhanshu Sarangi has stated due to increasing urbanisation, expansion of communication networks and changes in socio-economic activities, disaster and emergency calls have witnessed a steep rise. Consequently, the Fire and Emergency Service has evolved into a first responder organisation, attending not only to fire incidents but also to various natural and manmade disasters.
Currently, there are 346 fire stations in the state. The existing sanctioned manpower strength is grossly inadequate to effectively respond to the increasing number of service and fire calls. There is also a lack of uniformity in manpower deployment across the fire stations, he said.
Even as the Odisha Fire and Emergency Service, raised in 1942, has experienced phenomenal expansion in the last two decades and provided exemplary services during disaster within the state and outside, it requires strengthening of manpower to handle the increasing demands.
Official sources said only 170 posts of assistant station officers have been sanctioned against 346 fire stations and other establishments. As a result, around 239 fire stations are operating without assistant station officers.
Six fire stations at Chandahandi and Tentulikhunti in Nabarangpur, Charichhak in Boudh, Raikia in Kandhamal, Tihidi in Bhadrak and Baruan in Dhenkanal were established without the sanction of station officer posts. The fire stations in Baruan and Tihidi are also functioning without any sanctioned manpower strength, they added.
“In view of the progressively increasing roles and responsibilities of the department, it is proposed to strengthen the manpower of the fire stations. The government should consider to create 42 new posts of assistant fire officer, 45 station officer, 239 assistant station officer, 79 driver havildar and 282 fire fighter posts,” the DG said in his letter.
The financial implication for the proposal to create the above posts is estimated at over Rs 37.28 crore.