Chief Minister Rekha Gupta along with Home Minister Ashish Sood on Friday inspected the Delhi Fire Service Headquarters located at Connaught Place and announced the fire service will be fully equipped with modern equipment and new fire units including cutting-edge equipment such as AWT vehicles, 32-meter turntable ladders, and mini fire-fighting robots, which not only enhance efficiency in emergency situations but also ensure the safety of firefighters.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said the government has allocated a total budget of Rs 504 crores for the fire service, out of which Rs 110 crores will be allocated for the purchase of new machinery and state-of-the-art equipment. Specially, 100 small and technically equipped fire vehicles/engines will be deployed for areas with narrow lanes. The fire control room will be equipped with a Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system, allowing real-time tracking of all fire vehicles.

“Surveillance cameras will be installed in all fire vehicles/engines, and the control room will be technically upgraded. The fire control room staff will receive modern training. The dilapidated building of the fire service headquarters will be rebuilt, and the government has already approved the budget for it,” she said.

The Chief Minister also mentioned that a comprehensive roadmap for both short-term and long-term works has been prepared for modernizing the fire service. Short-term works will include staff recruitment, equipment repair, and public awareness campaigns.

Long-term works will include the development of a GIS-based centralised portal, modernisation of fire trucks, and enhancing the fire service’s capabilities to international standards through global partnerships.

“Our goal is to ensure that the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) is equipped with world-class tools and is always prepared for any emergency,” the chief Minister said after visiting the DFS headquarters accompanied by Delhi Home Minister Ashish Sood.

“Today, the Delhi Fire Service has 86 fire stations and over 3,000 dedicated fire fighters who face more than 36,000 emergency situations annually. This number is the highest compared to any other metropolitan city in the country, demonstrating the efficiency and commitment of this force,” the chief minister said.

The chief minister also highlighted the government’s commitment to rebuilding the dilapidated headquarters of Delhi Fire Services, a project being closely monitored by Home Minister Sood for its timely completion. Also, new fire stations will come up in the under-served areas, while the existing firefighting equipment will be thoroughly inspected, repaired and upgraded to ensure readiness at all times.

“Each fire station will undergo significant upgrades to strengthen operational capabilities and improve infrastructure. A long-overdue revamp of the fire control room is also underway to transform it into a fully computerised, state-of-the-art hub,” Gupta said.

The home minister also said that thorough inspections of elevators in the tall buildings, including those that reach up to 70 metres, are being conducted and there are plans to procure equipment that can reach up to 90 metres to ensure comprehensive coverage.

At his occasion, the DFS demonstrated several advanced equipment to Chief Minister Rekha Gupta with the objective of making it more technologically advanced and safer.

These included articulated water tower vehicles, 32-meter turntable ladders, mini fire-fighting robots, and quick response vehicles. The articulated water tower vehicles are fully remote-controlled and equipped with thermal and optical cameras, ensuring the safety of firefighters while extinguishing fires in high-risk areas. Currently, two such vehicles are deployed, each at Connaught Place and Lakshmi Nagar fire stations. Additionally, a 32-meter turntable ladder has been introduced, specifically designed for firefighting in high-rise buildings and for rescuing people stranded at height. This ladder is mounted on a fire truck and can rotate 360 degrees, making it versatile for use in any direction.

Moreover, to ensure firefighter safety, a mini fire-fighting robot is being deployed. This made in India device can withstand temperatures up to 500°C and is equipped with cameras for live video feeds. The robot can discharge 2,500 liters of water per minute, significantly reducing the risks involved in firefighting. Furthermore, 24 new quick response vehicles have been provided to the capital, designed to handle fires in narrow lanes, dense settlements, and electrical and LPG-related incidents.