After seven years, fire brigade to get more manpower

Vadodara: After grapping with staff shortage for seven years, the city fire brigade will finally get 70 more fire fighters and five fire station officers.
Official sources said that the city requires at least 500 fire and emergency staff considering the way it is expanding. However there are only about 220 fire fighters at present.
"The dearth of firefighters felt the most during calamities like flood and earthquake.The fire brigade has been under-staffed for a long time but with the added strength, we can function more efficiently," said Dipak Gunjal, in-charge chief fire officer
Gunjal added that the new staff will be deputed at fire stations at Dandia Bazaar, Vadiwadi, Panigate and GIDC.
During floods, they are required to travel to remote parts of the district and sometimes even to other districts making it difficult to render services at sites of calamity within the city.
Three assistant station officers were appointed in 2012, while 19 firefighters were recruited in 2009.
Sources said that at present a station officer and another assistant station officer are handling three stations each in the city.
"When the Panigate fire station was set up in 1980, there were about 430 sanctioned posts in the fire brigade for a population of nearly 12 lakh. Now the population has increased over 20 lakh but the staff strength continues to dwindle," said a senior fire officer.