Guwahati, May 22: Staff crunch has hit the Assam State Fire Service Organisation hard, with more than 200 posts lying vacant.

The dwindling number of officials is creating a major problem for the organisation, given the fact that the state is witnessing a steady rise in the number of fire incidents.

Of the organisation’s sanctioned staff strength of 1,942 personnel, a total of 242 posts have been lying vacant for a long time now. In fact, official sources said the staffing pattern in the fire brigade has not changed for the past several years. “Though the number of fire incidents in the state has soared from 300 in 2006 to 428 in 2010 and 150 lives were lost during this period, the sanctioned strength of the organisation has remained unchanged for years. What’s even worse is the fact that there are so many sanctioned posts lying vacant, as a result of which the organisation continues to be crippled by shortage of manpower,” an official of the organisation said.

He said important posts, like those of station officers, sub-officers, firemen and drivers, have been lying vacant for a long time now.

Giving the post-wise vacancy figures, the source said 155 posts of firemen, 35 station officers, 43 sub-officers, five drivers, one post each of divisional officer and fire prevention officer and the posts of deputy director (technical) and inspector-general of fire service are lying vacant. “The post of inspector-general (fire service) is lying vacant since December last year,” he added.

Several firemen, requesting anonymity, complained that the government was giving them a raw deal for their crucial service.

According to them, they were overburdened and the rise in fire accidents had worsened the situation.” Moreover, the firemen are increasingly finding themselves at the receiving end these days, as they are unable to live up to expectations of the general public.

“Apart from fire-fighting, another job of the organisation is to take steps to prevent fire by carrying out inspection and creating awareness. The staff crunch has affected regular inspection of high-rise buildings, commercial complexes, malls and godowns, among others,” the official said. “The fire safety guidelines say that in urban areas one fire station is required in every 10 square km and in rural areas, one in every 50 square km. Going by this estimate, the actual requirement of fire stations in the state is about 1,400, whereas at present, we have only 110 fire stations. Considering the funds position, the state government has decided to increase the number of fire stations in a phased manner,” he said.

He said as recommended by the Standing Fire Advisory Council and the Centre, a proposal had been submitted to the state government to re-organise the organisation as a fire and emergency services one, headed by a director-general of fire service, which would include search, rescue and disaster mitigation services besides fire-fighting.

At present, an officer of the rank of additional director-general heads the organisation. “Though several states in the country have reorganised their fire service departments as fire and emergency services departments, the Assam government is yet to approve the proposal,” he said.