The Mumbai Fire Brigade is the fire brigade serving the city of Mumbai, India. It is responsible for the provision of fire protection as well as responding to building collapses, drownings, gas leakage, oil spillage, road and rail accidents, bird and animal rescues, fallen trees and taking appropriate action during natural disasters.
History
Fire protection in Bombay began in 1777, when locals were allotted Rs. 4 per day for handling carts and horse chariots which were used to extinguish fires. The Bombay fire brigade started as a part-time police function in 1855. A regular fire service with horse-drawn fire engines began under control of the Commissioner of Police. In 1864, a commission was appointed to report the organisation of fire service and a police officer was sent to England to qualify himself as captain of the fire brigade. Bombay Fire Brigade was placed jointly under the control of the Government and the Municipality in 1865. Fire protection became the responsibility of the Municipality on 1 April 1887.
In 1888 Bombay Municipal Corporation Act was enacted and protection of life and properties from fire become the duty of the corporation. W. Nicholls of the London Fire Brigade was appointed Chief Officer in 1890. The first motorized fire engine was commissioned in 1907. Also in 1907, the Bombay Salvage Corporation was formed, responsible for fire protection and salvage operations. Street fire alarms were installed in 1913. The brigade was motorised by replacing horse-drawn steam engines in 1920, and the Bombay Fire Brigade started ambulance services using six donated ambulances.
The Mumbai Fire Brigade observes Fire Safety Week from 14 to 20 April every year, in honour of the 66 fire-fighters who died in the 1944 Bombay Explosion.
In 1948, M.G. Pradhan was appointed Chief Fire Officer, the first Indian to hold this position. Since then, the brigade has been completely manned and controlled by Indians.
In 2016, the Mumbai Fire Brigade engaged actor Randeep Hooda to be their official brand ambassador, to conduct public fire safety programs and trainings.
Jurisdiction and duties The role and jurisdiction of the brigade are defined by the Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act (2006), which designates the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) as the local authority for meeting the needs of fire services in Mumbai. While the director of fire services, appointed by the State of Mahashtra, retains supervisory powers, the day-to-day functioning of the Mumbai Fire Brigade rests with the MCGM. The MCGM is responsible, under Chapter XIV of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1888, for the following functions and duties:
Providing and maintaining fire hydrants; Creating, managing, and staffing a municipal fire brigade; Framing regulations governing fire services in Mumbai; ad Appointing a Chief of the fire brigade.
The Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act (2006) further lays down that the MCGM, like other municipal authorities in Maharashtra, is responsible for monitoring preventive measures to secure fire safety, such as inspecting and licensing buildings, as well as conducting fire-fighting services. In addition to fire fighting services, the Mumbai Fire Brigade provides support during seasonal flooding, as well as rescue and relief services.
In conjunction with the MCGM, the Mumbai Fire Brigade has prepared a Fire Hazard Response and Mitigation plan for the city of Mumbai, to address potential emergencies and hazards.
Organisation The head of the Mumbai Fire Brigade is the chief fire officer, who is in charge of fire services for the Mumbai Metropolitan area. This area is further divided into six regions, each in the charge of a deputy fire officer. The regions are headquartered at Byculla, Wadala, Marol, Borivali, Mankhurd, and Vikhroli. Each of these regions are further divided into divisions, with each division headed by a divisional fire officer. Within each division are sub-divisions, each consisting of a few fire stations, managed by an additional division officer. Individual fire stations are managed by station officers. The chief fire officer at present is Prabhat Rahangdale, who also serves as the director of the Maharashtra State Fire Services.
There are currently a total of 34 fire stations in Mumbai, with the Mumbai City headquarters in Byculla and Mumbai Suburban headquarters in Marol. The Mumbai Fire Brigade Control Room is located in Byculla, and is managed by a division officer responsible for mobilizing fire responses. The Mumbai Fire Brigade currently has a total of 1686 fire-fighters, 483 driver operators, and over 300 officers commanding individual fire troops.
Rank structure TitleExplanationChief Fire OfficerChief of Brigade. Highest ranking uniformed employee.Joint Chief Fire OfficerSecond in command of brigade. Mostly oversees operations of all branches/departments of the brigade.Deputy Chief Fire Officer7 positions, each in charge of one command of the brigade.Deputy Chief Fire Officer (Training)1 position, responsible for operations of the fire academy.Assistant Chief Fire OfficerOperate under the respective DFCO's command.Divisional Fire Officer11 positions, each leads one of the 11 divisions of the fire brigade.Assistant Divisional Fire Officer16 positions. Generally is the Commander of a Subdivision.Station Officer54 positions + 1 floater. Commander in charge of a fire station at all times.Assistant Station Officer212 positions + 2 floaters. Second in command of a fire station on one duty shift.Sub Officer66 positions, leads a firefighter company. Driver Operator483 positions. Drives the truck and operates specialised equipment.Leading Fireman/EMT243 positions. Seniormost non officer firefighter of the company, acts as officer in charge in absence of the SO.Fireman/EMTMore than 1686 positions. Firefighter.
Equipment, training, and budget
Equipment Fire stations are equipped with specialised equipment, such as firefighting and rescue vehicles, Ambulances, breathing apparatus, hydraulic rescue tools, electric chain saws, concrete or steel cutters, chemical protective suits, fire proximity suits, rescue rocket devices, self/rope rescue devices and search cameras.
The Mumbai Fire Brigade's first response vehicles are fire fighting trucks known as Motor Pumps, equipped with ladders, water tanks, and hydraulic rescue tools. Currently, the Mumbai Fire Brigade uses MPs manufactured by Tata and MAN. For larger fires, the Mumbai Fire Brigade uses brigades known as 'Jumbo Tankers' which have the capacity to hold between 14,000 and 18,000 litres of water. The Mumbai Fire Brigade also uses a number of specialised ladder trucks, for high-rise fires, manufactured by Volvo, MAN, and Mercedes-Benz. These include trucks with aerial ladder platforms, turntable ladders and hydraulic platforms. The Mumbai Fire Brigade's fleet currently consists of 56 fire engines, 21 jumbo tankers, and 18 specialised vehicles including 6 hydraulic platforms. The brigade also has 29 ambulances, and 6 beach safety units.
In 2016, the Mumbai Fire Brigade tested a Royal Enfield motorcycle, modified with fire fighting equipment, to tackle fires in places with narrow and limited access.
In 2019, the Mumbai Fire Brigade tested a fire fighting robot equipped with thermal imaging cameras, using it to help douse a fire at the MTNL Building in Bandra West. The apparatus is used to help identify people and objects in low visibility conditions and can spout water to assist in dousing fires. Fire fighters are also equipped with breathing apparatuses to enable them to enter buildings. In 2019 the Mumbai Fire Brigade acquired a number of additional specialised tools and equipment, including a vehicle designed or fighting fires caused by biological, chemical, and other hazardous materials.
The Mumbai Fire Brigade has gradually reduced maintenance on fire hydrants in the city, with information obtained under the Right to Information Act revealing that in 2009, 1503 of the total of 10,371 fire hydrants are functional.
Training Currently, on joining the brigade, firemen undergo six months of intensive training, followed by refresher courses of three months on promotions. Firemen also conduct a daily drill of one and a half hours, to practice and upgrade skills. Additional training is undergone when the Mumbai Fire Brigade upgrades equipment.
In 2017, the Mumbai Fire Brigade began to recruit more women into fire fighting units, bringing the total number of female fire fighters up to 117 in that year. The Byculla Division of the Mumbai Fire Brigade is now integrated with male and female fire fighters, and currently has 110 female fire fighters assigned to it.
Budget Budgetary allocations for the Mumbai Fire Brigade are contained within the budget of the MCGM. In February 2020, the MCGM presented a budget of 334.1 billion rupees for 2020–2021, of which 1.04 billion rupees were allocated to the Mumbai Fire Brigade. The 2020-2021 allocation halves the Mumbai Fire Brigade's budget when compared to previous years, with the MCGM stating that the reason for reducing the budget was the under-utilisation of funds by the Mumbai Fire Brigade.
Emergency Response and Standard Operating Procedure Until 2015, the Mumbai Fire Brigade relied on a colonial fire training manual established by the erstwhile British government, and focused heavily on fire fighting by using local water hydrants. The MCGM in 2015 established a committee of experts to study best practices in fire fighting and prepare a revised standard operating procedure for fire fighters, taking into account the reduced use of fire hydrants.
In 2016, the Mumbai Fire Brigade adopted a revised standard operating procedure, consisting of an eight-step process to respond to a fire call. These steps are: call received; call verification, despatch and mobilization of resources, preliminary assessment, arrival and initial assessment, line of action, reinforcement (if required) and demobilization.
The 2016 Standard Operation Procedure also establishes a five-level classification for fires, in order to determine the best response. Level I fires are treated as minor emergency calls; Level II fires are a medium emergency call; level III fires are a major emergency call; level IV are a serious emergency call and level V fires are a brigade call. For all fire classed Level III and above, the Chief Fire Officer is in command at the ground of the fire, and the Standard Operating Procedure also establishes the duties and responsibilities of other fire officers for each category of fire.
Major and notable incidents Bombay Dock Explosion (1944):
On 14 April 1944 the freighter SS Fort Stikine, carrying a mixed cargo of cotton bales, gold and ammunition (including around 1,400 tons of explosives), caught fire and was destroyed in two giant blasts, scattering debris, sinking surrounding ships and setting fire to the surrounding area, killing around 800 people. The Bombay Fire Brigade tried to control the fire under control, at the cost of 66 lives. Preserved in the fire station at Byculla is a Leyland fire engine that took part in fighting the fire. Fire Safety Week is held from 14 to 20 April every year, in honour of the 66 fire-fighters who died in the Bombay Explosion.
Terrorist Attacks (2008):