Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) Vinai Kumar Saxena has directed Delhi Fire Services to bring down the response time for rescue calls to 2-3 minutes from the current 8-16 minutes  and simplify procedures for obtaining Non-Objection Certificates (NOC) from the fire department, without compromising on the safety parameters as part of a slew of measures to improve the national Capital's fire-fighting capability.

During a meeting to review fire-safety preparedness ahead of Diwali on Tuesday, Saxena directed officials to identify at least 50 locations prone to mishaps and deploy fire tenders, integrating them with ambulance services for quick response.   Saxena directed the officials to fill 1,112 vacancies in the department on a priority and expedite the construction of a fire services headquarter building at Connaught Place. “The Lt Governor also issued specific instructions to Delhi Fire Services to rationalise and simplify the procedures for obtaining fire no-objection certificates without compromising on safety parameters,” the LG's office said in a statement."The LG asked for the revised procedural guidelines to be put in place before Diwali so that small eateries, restaurants, nursing homes, showrooms and other establishments that run from pillar to post for obtaining fire clearances could get the much needed relief," the statement said.

The move will benefit a large number of restaurants, eateries, nursing homes and several other business units that fail to comply with the existing fire safety parameters only due to "intricate and archaic procedures".

One identifying locations prone to fire mishaps, the statement said, "To begin with, more than a dozen such locations will be identified ahead of Diwali and gradually a plan for the entire city will be prepared."  Saxena instructed the officials to increase the number of fire stations to at least 80 from the current 64 and fire tenders and water bowsers to at least 350 from 220. He also directed them to identify land required to set up new fire stations.

As part of measures to upgrade technology to fight fires, the LG directed officials to increase the number of ultra-modern fire-fighting equipment, including remote-operated fire fighting machines (robots), multi–articulated fire towers, drone sprinklers, aerial ladders, to enhance the safety of firemen and save lives. Emphasising on the need for regular drills and awareness on fire safety, the LG asked the officials to prepare a calendar of regular drills at major hospitals, colleges, schools, hostels and crowded markets.

During the meeting, the LG asked the officials to conduct an audit of deaths in fire incidents to assess the shortcomings and requirement for additional resources and skills to improve the department's functioning.

He also asked them to bring in experts for proper training of firemen in animal and bird rescue, adding that all fire tenders should be equipped with GPS to track their movement and response in real-time.