Mumbai: In the line of fire

Mumbai's enthusiastic preparation to usher in the New Year turned into fear and mourning after a fire snuffed out the lives of 14 people at a Kamala Mills restaurant on the night of December 28.

Amid anger and shock, a force tirelessly battled till it brought the blaze under control and ushered many men and women to safety – the firefighters.

With the Kamala Mills tragedy and the death of 12 workers in an Andheri farsan shop days earlier, turning the spotlight on fires in the city, it's the firefighters, the front-line warriors of Mumbai Fire Brigade, who stand out.

Be it a Level-5 inferno, the most intense in fire officials' lingo, or a building collapse, or a fallen tree or a bird stuck in a high-rise, the onus to respond is on the 2,500-member-strong Mumbai Fire Brigade.

It's not easy being a firefighter. The strenuous job of a fireman or firewomen does take a toll on their lives and disturbs their work-life balance. Sometimes the call of work is so strenuous that families are often ignored.

In the last decade, nine firemen have died in the line of duty. The fire brigade has been arming its firefighters with modern equipment, but the ever-rising population and indiscriminate use of flammable items make their job tougher. Most firemen say that they have no idea about inflammable items are stored in a place when they douse a fire. Such combustible or explosive materials make firefighting more lethal.

Totabu Patil, 53, has spent over 25 years tackling fires. Over the period, he recalls, the nature of fire calls has changed. Patil says, "There were fire calls in 1990s too, but they were not as high intensity as they are today. This is also due to a rise in the density of population as well as the number of high-rises that have sprung across the city."

As a fireman, the first priority is to save people trapped inside, says Patil. "We let out a sigh of relief only after we rescue each person trapped in the fire or under the debris of a collapsed building."

Prabhat Rahangdale, chief fire officer of Mumbai Fire Brigade, said that it can be gauged with the fact that the budget of MFB is equal to the overall fire department's budget of a few states. "We are procuring world's best equipment," said Rahangdale. The job is tough and those joining the force know that they have to be dedicated, he said.

A fireman works in an 8-hour shift which sometimes extends up to 10 hours. "Once we are on the spot, we never think about our family or time," said Kashinath Rajnath Mishra, a fireman for over 20 years. He said that they cannot leave the spot unless another crew takes charge.

With a turnaround time (leaving for the spot after receiving a fire call) under just one minute, they use technology like Google maps to reach their destination as quickly as possible. "There is no of scope for an excuse when you are working as a fireman," said Mishra. He added that during operation their colleague and officials are their family, and they try to ensure that each and every person returns to office safely.