The fire that broke out on March 18 in a four-storey building in Palam killed nine members of a family, including three children and a 70-year-old woman.
| Photo Credit: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR
Five months after a Bronto Skylift became entangled in overhead cables and banners during a rescue operation at a deadly fire in southwest Delhi’s Palam, the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) is set to place orders for new high-reach rescue ladders. “We have finalised the bids for 90-metre, 70-metre and 40-metre variants and will be placing the order before August 31. The delivery is expected to take about 14-16 months after the order is placed,” a department official said. The move follows the March 18 fire in a four-storey building in which nine members of a family, including three children and a 70-year-old woman, were killed. The fire broke out early in the morning and spread rapidly through the residential floors. Taking suo motu cognisance of the deaths, the National Human Rights Commission noted that the fire brigade’s hydraulic crane had reportedly developed a technical snag, delaying the rescue operation. A magisterial inquiry into the incident has identified several gaps in the rescue response. According to findings submitted by the District Magistrate (South West) to the Home department last month, the Bronto Skylift could not be positioned promptly as its boom became entangled in low-hanging cables and banners in the narrow lane. Firefighters had to use a long non-conductive rescue rod to lift the wires and clear a path for the vehicle, delaying its deployment. With no backup high-reach rescue equipment immediately available, firefighters had to rely on manual ladders. However, the ladders could not reach the third-floor balcony where people were trapped, an official familiar with the matter told The Hindu. The inquiry also flagged a training gap. Firefighters assigned to operate the Bronto Skylift had not received formal training from the authorised dealer since the machine was procured in 2006, officials said. The department has maintained that firefighters are trained when new machinery or equipment is introduced. When equipment is subsequently shifted to another station, personnel there are trained by colleagues familiar with its operation, an official said. The inquiry has nevertheless highlighted the need for regular, equipment-specific training. Officials said the DFS conducts reviews after major fires to assess gaps in response and equipment deployment. However, there is no structured refresher-training programme for every firefighter throughout their career, from induction to promotion. Addressing manpower gaps The proposed procurement is part of efforts to strengthen the DFS’ emergency response capacity. The department is also working on recruiting contractual firefighters to address its manpower shortage while regular recruitment is undertaken. The DFS currently has around 3,500 personnel, including about 2,600 firefighters, and operates around 250 vehicles and specialised equipment, including fire tenders, water bowsers, Skylifts and mini robots, officials said. Its official website lists a sanctioned strength of 3,623 personnel, including 3,312 operational staff. The Union Home Ministry has approved an expansion of the DFS’ sanctioned strength by more than 10,000 posts, taking it to nearly 13,500, officials said. The expansion is expected to address the shortage of operational personnel. The department has also added 24 quick response vehicles to improve response times and enable smaller teams to reach congested areas more quickly. The empanelment of third-party auditors has also begun, with 18-20 auditors having applied for registration so far, an official said. Published - August 12, 2026 12:47 am IST
