330 posts in fire department to be filled by March '15

NASHIK: Mayor Yatin Wagh on Wednesday said around 330 new posts are likely to be created and filled in the civic body's fire department by March next year.
The Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) has already approved creation and recruitment of 330 personnel in the fire department and sent a proposal to the state government for its nod. The mayor said this during a meeting with associations of industrialists on various industrial issues.
The industries had sought a stand-by fire tender in the Ambad industrial estate of the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC).
Wagh said, "The general body of the municipal corporation has approved creation of new posts in the fire department and we have sent this proposal to the state government for the nod. We will start the recruitment process once we get the state government's nod and it is expected by March 2015."
He added, "Currently, we are unable to provide a stand-by fire tender to the Ambad MIDC areas because of manpower shortage in the fire brigade department. But we will provide it once we get the additional posts filled in the fire department, by March end next year."
Anil Mahajan, the chief of the NMC's fire department, said, "We have approved the posts as per a population of six lakh. Today, the population of the city has reached 18 lakh and our number of staff is inadequate. Our people are working 12 hours a day."
The NMC is also planning to conduct mock drill of fire brigade officials and employees in the Ambad industrial estate to check the efficiency of the fire brigade services.
Officiating municipal commissioner Sonali Ponkshe-Vayangankar said, "We need to conduct a mock drill in Ambad industrial estate to ensure quick response of the fire brigade department."
There are around 1,500 small, medium and large industrial units in Ambad industrial estate. There has been a strong demand from industry bodies like Nashik Industries & Manufacturers' Association (NIMA) and Ambad Industries & Manufacturers' Association (AIMA) towards NMC to provide a stand-by fire station in Ambad MIDC as it is located 10 km away from the city, it takes much time to reach fire tenders to Ambad from city in case of fire incidents.
The MIDC has already proposed a fire brigade station in the Ambad industrial estate, but it may take more than one-and-a-half years for its completion.
Dhananjay Bele, former president of Nashik Industries & Manufacturers' Association (NIMA), said, "Some units in the Ambad MIDC were gutted in fire in the past due to delay in reaching fire tenders on time. The MIDC's proposed fire station may take around two years for its construction and commencement of operation. Hence, deployment of at least one fire tender in the industry area on a temporary basis can save the units in case of a fire."