New DelhiThe auditor will conduct inspections, issue certificates and upload inspection reports online, subject to random verification by the departmentThe Delhi government has notified the Delhi Fire Service (Amendment) Rules, 2025, which allow third-party auditors to inspect buildings and issue fire safety clearances. Further, it also restructured fire zones and divisions in line with the Capital’s restructured 13 districts.The Rules now allow building occupants to appoint a fire safety auditor from a list available on the Delhi Fire Service (DFS) portal for obtaining fire safety certification. The auditor will conduct inspections, issue certificates and upload inspection reports online, subject to random verification by the department. The rules mandate that at least 5% of certificates issued every quarter will be randomly inspected by DFS officers.Delhi home minister Ashish Sood said the amendment to the Delhi Fire Service Rules, 2010, was part of the government’s deregulation measures. “Third-party audit has been made mandatory under the government’s deregulation exercise and the exercise has now been taken away from the clutches of the fire department. It is a big relief for the people,” Sood said.Under the earlier rules, fire safety certificates were issued directly by the fire service department, following inspection by DFS officials.The new rules have mandated an automated continuous monitoring system (ACMS) for firefighting systems, in terms of both active and passive measures, ensuring they are in optimal working condition, which was not mandated under the earlier rules.The previous rules mandated that the fire department conduct an inspection every three years for commercial buildings and five years for residential buildings, the new norms are changed.The changes mark a significant shift from the framework laid down under the 2010 rules, which vested the process of inspection and issuance of fire safety certificates directly with the DFS. Under the 2010 rules, the city was divided into three fire zones — New Delhi, South and West — with six fire divisions and 18 subdivisions.The amended rules, notified on May 26, expand the structure to five fire zones of Central, East, West, North and South, and 13 fire divisions, aligned with Delhi’s newer district-level administrative and urban spread.According to the notification, the Central zone will include New Delhi, central and Old Delhi divisions; the East zone will comprise northeast and east divisions; the West zone will include west, southwest and northwest divisions; the North zone will cover north, outer north and central north divisions; while the South zone will include south and southeast divisions.The 13 new fire divisions are Burari, Badli, Najafgarh, Matiala, Bijwasan, Chhatarpur, Deoli, Karawal Nagar, Yamuna Vihar, Narela, and Mundka, among others. The revised rules also list 39 fire subdivisions across the city.According to the new notification, there has been no change in the height exemption with respect to the requirement of a fire safety certificate. “Residential buildings (other than hotels and guest houses) having height more than 15 metres or comprised of five or more stories, including mezzanine/stilt floor above ground level,” are at risk of fire and require an FSC. The previous rules stated that a ground plus four floors having a height more than 15 metres requires an FSC.A senior DFS official said the restructuring of zones and divisions was aimed at improving response coordination and matching the fire service layout with the city’s present-day administrative and urban requirements.“The earlier framework was based on a much smaller operational structure. The revised zonal and divisional arrangement has been aligned with newer districts and growth corridors to improve monitoring and emergency response,” the official said.