The Delhi Fire Service (DFS) is set to explore the recruitment of former Agniveers to address existing vacancies and strengthen its operational capacity. The proposal was put forth by Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu during a meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA).
The meeting, chaired by Lieutenant Governor Sandhu and attended by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, ministers Ashish Sood and Parvesh Verma, along with senior officials, reviewed the city’s preparedness for emergencies and fire safety measures. The suggestion to engage retired Agniveers comes in the wake of recent fire tragedies, including one in Malviya Nagar that claimed 22 lives, highlighting critical staffing shortages within the DFS.
According to official data, the DFS has 3,633 sanctioned posts, with 1,030 currently vacant. The majority of these vacancies are in the operational team, which is crucial for coordinating responses to emergency calls, dispatching fire tenders, and deploying firefighters. The department has been managing with contractual staff, with 412 contractual employees currently in service, 318 of whom are fire operators. Direct recruitment for positions like Station Officers has not occurred since 2011-12, and all five sanctioned posts for Chief Fire Officer are vacant.
The Agnipath Scheme, introduced by the Central Government in June 2022, recruits personnel into the Indian Armed Forces for a four-year term. Upon completion of their service, up to 25 percent of Agniveers may be retained based on merit and organizational needs, while the remaining are released with opportunities for post-service employment. Several central and state government departments, including police and security agencies, have already announced provisions to prioritize former Agniveers in their recruitment processes.
The Lieutenant Governor emphasized the need to leverage the skills and training of Agniveers to fill these critical gaps. The proposal aligns with a broader national trend of integrating ex-Agniveers into various government services. The DFS, which undertakes recruitment through both the UPSC and at the state government level, is expected to allocate approximately 10 percent of its vacancies for ex-Agniveers once the recruitment process commences, with a particular focus on the posts of firemen.
During the DDMA meeting, officials also reviewed ongoing efforts against illegal buildings and the misuse of fire safety licenses. The Lieutenant Governor stressed zero tolerance for monsoon-related flooding and directed teams to submit their Action Taken Reports promptly. He also underscored that while disaster vulnerabilities present challenges, they offer opportunities to enhance preparedness and resilience, while ensuring that enforcement actions do not become a source of harassment for residents. Negligence or lack of diligence in performing duties will be reflected in officers’ Annual Confidential Reports.
The meeting also considered enforcing Section 32 of the Delhi Fire Services Act, 2007, to extend fire prevention and safety measures to all multi-storey buildings, regardless of whether they require a fire safety certificate under existing provisions. Plans to expand the number of fire stations across Delhi were also discussed to improve emergency response times.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
