Won't grant NOC if not verified by BMC officials, say fire officers

The Mumbai Fire Brigade Officers (MFB) Association has taken a firm stand on fire safety compliance and decided that it won't be issuing any no objection certificate (NOC) to commercial establishments without having it physically inspected and verified by health officers and engineers from the BMC's ward office. The decision came a day after fire officers had threatened to submit mass resignation, voicing against the arrest of fire officer Rajendra Patil on the row of Kamala Mills fire case.

Presently, the Fire NOC has to be granted jointly by fire officer, health officer and building-factory engineers of the concerned BMC ward. However, the system is not followed and loopholes provide escape routes to defaulters of fire safety norms — the commercial establishment. "We grant the NOC 'subject to compliance', while ward officials have to ensure that the owners comply with the fire safety norms. It is not correct to hold the fire officer guilty for non-compliance when it is the work of the ward office", said Prakash Devdas, President of MFB Officers Association.

Also, currently, fire station offices work 24 hours and they want eight hour shifts to be introduced. "Even the Mumbai Police has recently started eight hour work shift. There is serious manpower crunch", Devdas said. The Association has also said that all 34 nominated officers for Fire safety and Compliance cell are not senior officers. "The junior officers are not aware about locations and detections for inspections, which may result in the cell being not so effective", he added.

Devdas also said that the present system of granting NOC is outdated, considering the rise of hookah parlours and restobars.

Speaking on the preparation of SOP for fire compliance and safety cell, CFP PS Rahangdale said, "I have heard all issues the fire officers face and their demands towards changes in NOC granting system. The SOP is a policy decision and is expected to be ready by June 25. However, it will be implemented after approval of Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta".

Meanwhile, Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) officers Association on Wednesday said they will give eight days notice to Chief Fire Officer to issue separate 'Standard Operating Procedures' for operation of the newly-formed Fire Safety and Compliance Cell. "If we do not get proper guidelines and specific duties, we (all members of the association) will not work for the Fire Safety and Compliance Cell, informed the President of the Association, Prakash Devdas. The (MFB) association has 100 senior fire officers as its members.

In a meeting the MFB officers Association held on Tuesday, the fire officers took the decision on sending the notice. "Although the Chief Fire Officer told us that the SOP will be given by Thursday, June 25 but it should include the points as per our demands. If the new guidelines are more or less the same as we have at present, it will not fulfill the purpose of having a SOP for the compliance cell", Devdas added.

If the Fire Officers stop their work towards the fire compliance cell, it will directly affect the drive undertaken by BMC against hotels and restaurants who are flouting fire safety norms. In the monthly meeting on Monday, BMC Chief Ajoy Mehta had directed officers take legal action against hotels and restaurants that fail to comply with fire safety norms to whom notices are served in this month. In the last few days, notices have been served to 2,973 places, which include shopping malls, cinema halls, clubs, gymkhanas, pubs, etc., and 30-120 days has been given to comply with the norms.

DEMAND

Scrap 24 hours duty. The fire fighters should be allowed to work in 8 hours shifts

The fire NOC to be granted to commercial properties only after inspection and verification by all concerned officers 

Depute senior officers in the newly-formed Fire Safety and Compliance Cell

Specific guidelines for the operations of Fire Safety and Compliance Cell

LOOPHOLES

Fire NOC is granted ‘on conditions of compliance’, which has provided escape routes to defaulters

The health officers and building — factory department engineers do not keep watch whether owners comply with fire safety norms

IN NUMBERS

Buildings in Mumbai: More than 2.5 lakh

90% of buildings do not follow fire safety norms (with minor or major violations)

MFB has only 200 fire officers and around 1500 to 2000 fire fighters 

From 2015 to 2017, MFB has inspected 4647 buildings and all were found non-compliant to fire safety norms