Tatkare & Rao: CFOs who met the same end

Officials of the city fire brigade must have experienced a strange sense of déjà vu on Thursday evening when news of chief fire officer Uday Tatkare’s having suffered a heart attack reached them.

Tatkare suffered a cardiac arrest when he was returning home after attending a meeting at the BMC headquarters. On October 20, 1999, Dr VV Rao, the then chief fire officer, had also suffered a cardiac arrest after attending a meeting at the civic headquarters and died on his way to hospital.

The two incidents call attention to the stress faced by firemen. “A chief fire officer’s job in Mumbai is difficult. The number of fire calls has gone up in the past few years. Firefighting is becoming increasingly difficult with the growing population, congested streets and various other factors. Expectations from the higher-ups are also rising,” said HN Muzawar, deputy fire officer.

Ironically, it was Tatkare who recognised the stress levels firemen face and started yoga sessions for them when he served at the Chembur fire station, said RA Chaudhary, a fireman from the Byculla fire station.