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.
Firefighters Memorial outside the Byculla Headquarters
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.[3] 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.[4]
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.[3] 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.[5][6]
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.[7]
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.[3]
In 2016, the Mumbai Fire Brigade engaged actor Randeep Hooda to be their official brand ambassador, to conduct public fire safety programs and trainings.[8]
Jurisdiction & duties
The role and jurisdiction of the brigade are defined by the Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act (2006),[9] which designates the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) as the local authority for meeting the needs of fire services in Mumbai.[9] 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.[9] The MCGM is responsible, under Chapter XIV of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1888, for the following functions and duties:[10]
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.[9] In addition to fire fighting services, the Mumbai Fire Brigade provides support during seasonal flooding, as well as rescue and relief services.[11]
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.[12]
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.[13] The regions are headquartered at Byculla, Wadala, Marol, Borivali, Mankhurd, and Vikhroli.[13] 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.[13] The Chief Fire Officer at present is Prabhat Rahangdale, who also serves as the Director of the Maharashtra State Fire Services.[14]
There are currently a total of 34 fire stations in Mumbai, with the Mumbai City headquarters in Byculla and Mumbai Suburban headquarters in Marol.[13] The Mumbai Fire Brigade Control Room is located in Byculla, and is managed by a Division Officer responsible for mobilizing fire responses.[13] The Mumbai Fire Brigade currently has a total of 1686 fire-fighters, 483 driver operators, and over 300 officers commanding individual fire troops.[13]
Rank structure
Title
Explanation
Chief Fire Officer
Chief of Brigade. Highest ranking uniformed employee.
Joint Chief Fire Officer
Second in command of Brigade. Mostly oversees operations of all branches/departments of the brigade.
Deputy Chief Fire Officer
7 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 Officer
Operate under the respective DFCO's command.
Divisional Fire Officer
11 positions, each lead one of the 11 divisions of the fire brigade.
Assistant Divisional Fire Officer
16 Positions. Generally is the Commander of a Subdivision.
Station Officer
54 Positions + 1 floater. Commander in charge of a fire station at all times.
Assistant Station Officer
212 Positions + 2 floaters. Second in command of a fire station on one duty shift.
Sub Officer
66 positions, Leads a Firefighter company.
Driver Operator
483 positions. Drives the truck and operates specialised equipment.
Leading Firemen/EMT
243 positions. Seniormost non officer firefighter of the company, acts as officer in charge in absence of the SO.
Fireman/EMT
More than 1686 Positions. Firefighter.
Equipment, Training, and Budget
Mumbai Fire Brigade's Bronto sky lift for skyscrapers
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.[15] Currently, the Mumbai Fire Brigade uses MPs manufactured by Tata and MAN.[15] 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.[15] 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.[15] The Mumbai Fire Brigade's fleet currently consists of 56 fire engines, 21 jumbo tankers, and 18 specialised vehicles including 6 hydraulic platforms.[11] The brigade also has 29 ambulances, and 6 beach safety units.[11]
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.[16]
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.[17] The apparatus is used to help identify people and objects in low visibility conditions and can spout water to assist in dousing fires.[17] Fire fighters are also equipped with breathing apparatuses to enable them to enter buildings.[11] 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.[18]
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.[19]
Training
Currently, on joining the brigade, firemen undergo six months of intensive training, followed by refresher courses of three months on promotions.[11] 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.[11]
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.[20] 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.[21]
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.[22] 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.[22]
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.[23] 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.[23]
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.[24]
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.[24] 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.[24]
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.[25] Preserved in the fire station at Byculla is a Leyland fire engine that took part in fighting the fire.[15] 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.[7]
On 26 November 2008, the Mumbai Fire Brigade was one of several emergency services that responded when armed terrorists attacked multiple sites in the south of Mumbai, including the Taj Mahal Hotel, Hotel Trident, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Railway Terminus, the Leopold Cafe, Nariman House, and Bade Miyan Gali. The attacks result in significant fire damage in particular to the Taj Mahal Hotel's upper floors.[26] 1200 firemen responded to the fires as the attacks were ongoing. In response to their service, the MCGM announced that it would present firemen with gallantry awards.[27] The lack of protective equipment, including bullet proof vests, was indicated following this incident, which resulted in upgrades to the fire fighting equipment.[28]
In 2012, the Mumbai Fire Brigade responded to a fire at the Mantralaya in Mumbai, which houses the administrative functions of the Maharashtra government.[29] The fire resulted in the deaths of three people, with fifteen more injured and a number of vital government documents and records destroyed.[29] The Mumbai Fire Brigade was assisted in fire relief efforts by the Indian Navy, and the Mumbai Police's anti-terror forces.[30] The Mumbai Fire Brigade and MCGM subsequently submitted a report indicating that the cause of the fire was related to the presence of highly-flammable materials, including LPG cylinders, on the upper floors of the building.[31]
In 2013, a second fire broke out in the Mantralaya, while renovation work was underway to repair the damage caused by the 2012 fire. There were no injuries, and five fire tenders of the Mumbai Fire Brigade doused the fire.[32]
On 14 August 2013, there were several ordnance explosions on board the INS Sindurakshak, a diesel-electric submarine of the Indian Navy that was docked at Mumbai. The Mumbai Fire Brigade responded at the docks, along with other fire tenders that remain at service in the Naval Dockyard at Mumbai; however, the INS Sindhurakshan sank shortly after.
Andheri Lotus Park Fire (2014)
On 18 July 2014, a fire broke at around 11 am at the 22-storey Lotus Business Park Building in Andheri (West). The fire destroyed the upper two floors before the Fire Brigade brought it under control. About a dozen out of 30 firemen who had gone inside the building were trapped for hours on the rooftop, and Nitin Ivalekar, a 28-year-old fireman, died due to smoke inhalation.[33][34]
Kalbadevi Fire (2015)
In 2015, the Mumbai Fire Brigade responded to a fire that broke out in a multistorey building, Goluk Niwas, in Kalbadevi, Mumbai, which was caused by a short-circuit that ignited flammable chemicals stored in the building.[35] Three fire officers, Deputy CFO Sudhir Amin, Station Officer MM Desai and Assistant Divisional Fire Officer SW Rane, were killed while fighting the fire, and Chief Fire Officer Sunil Nesarikar sustained serious injuries.[35] Fire brigades were initially unable to respond to the fire because of vehicles, hand carts, and obstacles blocking the narrow roads leading to the building, and ultimately, only two brigades could simultaneously access the site of the fire.[36] Following the incident, the MCGM established a seven-member panel to investigate the reason behind the multiple deaths of fire brigade officers in the incident.[36]
Metro House Fire (2016)
On 2 June 2016, at 4 pm, a major fire broke out at Metro House, which houses Cafe Mondegar, close to the Regal Cinema, at Colaba Causeway, a popular shopping district.[37] There were 50 fire trucks, from every station of South Mumbai, which included jumbo-tanker aerial-ladder platforms, turn-table ladders, and regular fire trucks. The operation continued for almost 2 days, with fire tenders making refill trips.[citation needed]
On 29 December 2017, fires broke out at two restaurants, Mojo's Bistro and 1 Above, in a commercial shopping complex at Kamala Mills, resulting in the deaths of fourteen people and injuries to sixteen more, as well as extensive property damage.[38] The Mumbai Fire Brigade responded to the incident, following which it instituted a technical investigation to examine the cause of the fire.[39] The report filed due to this investigation indicated multiple failures in observing fire safety regulations.[40] Following this report, a number of persons were arrested and charged by the Mumbai Police, including Fire Officer Rajendra Patil, who had certified the restaurants for compliance with fire safety regulations a week before the fire.[41]
MTNL Building Fire (2019):
On 22 July 2019, a fire broke out in the offices of Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL), a state-owned telecommunications service provider.[42] The building, located in Bandra, Mumbai, caught fire, trapping people on the roof of the nine-story building. The Mumbai Fire Brigade responded to the site with fourteen fire brigades, rescuing 84 people from the roof.[43] There were no casualties, and one fireman sustained minor injuries.[44]
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic in India, the Mumbai Fire Brigade in conjunction with the MCGM worked to disinfect public spaces in Mumbai. The Mumbai Fire Brigade deployed 160 employees grouped into a total of 32 teams throughout the city. The COVID-19 response teams used the Mumbai Fire Brigade's quick response and mist fogging equipment to spray disinfectant in affected areas.[45]
Mumbai is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city of India with an estimated population of 12.5 million (1.25 crore). Mumbai is the centre of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, the sixth-most populous metropolitan area in the world with a population of over 23 million. Mumbai lies on the Konkan coast on the west coast of India and has a deep natural harbour. In 2008, Mumbai was named an alpha world city. Mumbai has the highest number of billionaires out of any city in Asia.
A volunteer fire department (VFD) is a fire department of volunteers who perform fire suppression and other related emergency services for a local jurisdiction. Volunteer and retained (on-call) firefighters are expected to be on call to respond to emergency calls for long periods of time, and are summoned to the fire station when their services are needed. They are also expected to attend other non-emergency duties as well.
The Bombay explosion occurred on 14 April 1944, in the Victoria Dock of Bombay, British India when the British freighter SS Fort Stikine caught fire and was destroyed in two giant blasts, scattering debris, sinking surrounding ships and setting fire to the area, killing around 800 to 1,300 people. Some 80,000 people were made homeless and 71 firemen lost their lives in the aftermath. The ship was carrying a mixed cargo of cotton bales, timber, oil, gold, and ammunition including around 1,400 tons of explosives with an additional 240 tons of torpedoes and weapons.
The Greater Mumbai Police is the police department of the city of Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is a city police commissionerate under the Maharashtra Police and has the primary responsibilities of law enforcement in the city of Mumbai and its surrounding areas. The force's motto is Sadrakṣaṇāya Khalanigrahaṇāya.
The Grant Government Medical College is a public medical college located in Mumbai, India. It is affiliated to the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences. Founded in 1845, it is one of the oldest medical colleges in South Asia. Its clinical affiliate is Sir J.J. Group of Hospitals, a conglomerate of four hospitals in South Mumbai including Sir J.J. Hospital, St George Hospital, Gokuldas Tejpal Hospital and Cama and Albless Hospital.
Arun Gulab Gawli also known as Arun Gulab Ahir, is an Indian politician, underworld don and retired gangster. Gawli and his brother Kishor (Pappa) entered the Mumbai underworld in the 1970s, when they joined the "Byculla Company", a criminal gang led by Rama Naik and Babu Reshim, operating in the central Mumbai areas of Byculla, Parel and Saat Rasta. In 1988, after Rama Naik was killed in a police encounter, Gawli took over the gang and began operating it from his residence, Dagdi Chawl. Under his control, the gang controlled most criminal activities in the central Mumbai areas. Throughout the late eighties and nineties, Gawli's gang was involved in a power struggle with Dawood Ibrahim's D-Company gang. Gawli is also the founder of the Akhil Bharatiya Sena political party based in Maharashtra.
Byculla is an area of South Mumbai.
Anil Kakodkar, is an Indian nuclear physicist and mechanical engineer. He was the chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission of India and the Secretary to the Government of India, he was the Director of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay from 1996 to 2000. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian honour, on 26 January 2009.
Mantralaya is the administrative headquarters of the Government of Maharashtra in the city of Mumbai, India built in 1955. Mantralaya was earlier known as Sachivalaya.. The headquarters of most State Governments in India are called Secretariats. However, since Ministers also sit in the same building and to underline the fact that Ministers are powerful in a democracy, the name was changed to Mantralaya in the early eighties.
The Municipal Corporation Building, Mumbai, located in South Mumbai, Maharashtra, India is a Grade IIA heritage building opposite to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus at the junction of Dadabhai Naoroji Road and Mahapalika Marg. It is also known as the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation Building, or BMC building for short.
As firefighting has a rich history throughout the world, traditions in this profession vary widely from country to country.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to firefighting:
Mahul, Chembur East, Mumbai - 400074 Mahul is a fishing village in Chembur, Mumbai, located on the eastern seafront of the Mumbai Suburban district. Since 2017, Mahul has been in the news for its high levels of pollution and the dismal conditions of its 72-building slum resettlement colony. The area has come to be referred to as Mumbai's "toxic hellhole", "gas chamber", and "human dumping ground", where the poor "are sent to die".
Firefighting is the act of extinguishing destructive fires. A firefighter fights these fires with the intent to prevent destruction of life, property and the environment. Firefighting is a highly technical profession, which requires years of training and education in order to become proficient. A fire can rapidly spread and endanger many lives; however, with modern firefighting techniques, catastrophe can usually be avoided. To help prevent fires from starting, a firefighter's duties include public education and conducting fire inspections. Because firefighters are often the first responders to victims in critical conditions, firefighters often also provide basic life support as emergency medical technicians or advanced life support as licensed paramedics. Firefighters make up one of the major emergency services, along with the emergency medical service, the police, and many others.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), or Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) is the governing civic body of Mumbai, the capital city of Maharashtra.
The Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services department is a service department of the Government of Tamil Nadu whose function is to fight fires and provide relief measures in times of calamities and disasters in Tamil Nadu.
On 29 December 2017, a fire broke out at Kamala Mills, a commercial complex in Lower Parel, Mumbai, at 00:22 IST. The fire resulted in the deaths of 14 people, and injuries to 55 more. The fire began in a bar, 1 Above, and spread to an adjacent pub, Mojo's Bistro, before spreading through the rest of the building in which they were housed.
The Alexandra Girls' English Institution, formerly known as the Alexandra Native Girls' English Institution, is a girls-only school in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Established on 1 September 1863 by Manockjee Cursetjee at his residence Villa Byculla, the institution is named after Princess Alexandra, who became the Princess of Wales upon her marriage to Albert Edward, Prince of Wales on 10 March 1863.
Mumbai Climate Action Plan, a state-government initiative, was established in 2021 to tackle and solve the increasing challenges of climate change. It was officially launched in March 2022. This Planning process was unveiled by the former Environment Minister of Maharashtra, Aaditya Thackeray in September 2021 after Mumbai joined the C40 Cities Network in December 2020. This climate action plan is being drafted by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (MCGM) in assistance with World Resources Institute (WRI), a knowledge partner. This plan will serve as a 30-year roadmap and systematic framework to guide the city, Mumbai, and look climate resilience with mitigation and adaptation strategies through low-carbon, resilient, and inclusive development pathways. Being India's first climate action plan, it is aiming to set net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and green targets for 2050, twenty years before the target set by the Central Government of India at the Glasgow COP summit in 2021. The six key action areas and strategies laid out in this plan are: Sustainable Waste Management, Urban greening & biodiversity, Urban flooding & water resource management, Energy & buildings, Air quality and Sustainable Mobility.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
