Mumbai Fire Brigade Battles 1,200 Vacancies As Diwali Fire Calls Cross 500, Association Moves Bombay HC
Mumbai: The Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) faced tremendous overload this Diwali festival with handling more than 500 fire calls with limited staff. The MFB has been managing the force with as many as 1200 vacant posts, including that of officers and firefighters. With no sign of filling the posts soon, the MFB officers association and firefighters union have raised concerns over the multiplied work…
Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) faced an unprecedented workload during Diwali with over 500 fire calls, despite having only 1200 vacant posts. This shortage of firefighters and officers has raised concerns about the brigade's ability to handle emergencies effectively due to the lack of motivation among staff. The MFB Officers Association filed a writ petition before the Bombay High Court, challenging the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for failing to implement the Maharashtra Fire Prevention & Life Safety Measures Act 2006.
Association president Prakash Devdas stated that while there are 1200 vacancies on paper, the MFB is actually short of 40% of the required firemen. Devdas emphasized the need to fill the minimum required posts and expressed disappointment with the government's failure to implement the law. MFB Chief Fire Officer Ravindra Ambulgekar confirmed the vacancies and said that preparations for filling them are underway.
However, there has been no hiring at the MFB since 2016-17, with complaints of malpractices in the recruiting process.
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