Delhi Fire Services to Order High-Reach Ladders After Fatal Palam Fire Inquiry
Five months after a fatal blaze killed nine people in southwest Delhi's Palam locality, the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) is set to place orders for new high-reach rescue ladders by August 31. The department has finalized bids for 90-metre, 70-metre, and 40-metre ladder variants, with delivery expected within 14 to 16 months after the order is placed.
The procurement follows a magisterial inquiry into the March 18 fire in a four-storey residential building in Palam. The early morning blaze killed nine members of a single family, including three children and a 70-year-old woman. Taking suo motu cognisance of the tragedy, the National Human Rights Commission noted that delays in rescue operations occurred after a hydraulic crane developed technical issues.
Findings submitted by the District Magistrate (South West) to the Home department last month revealed that a DFS Bronto Skylift could not be deployed promptly because its boom got entangled in low-hanging overhead cables and banners in the narrow lane. Firefighters were forced to use a long non-conductive rescue rod to lift the wires and clear a path for the vehicle, delaying rescue efforts.
With no backup high-reach equipment immediately available at the scene, firefighters had to rely on manual ladders. However, the manual ladders could not reach the third-floor balcony where people were trapped.
The inquiry also flagged a critical training gap, noting that firefighters assigned to operate the Bronto Skylift had not received formal training from the authorized dealer since the machine was procured in 2006. Department officials stated that while personnel receive peer-to-peer instruction when equipment is transferred between stations, DFS currently lacks a structured, equipment-specific refresher training programme throughout a firefighter's career.
To address broader operational and staffing shortages, the Union Home Ministry has approved expanding DFS's sanctioned strength from 3,623 personnel to nearly 13,500 posts. The department is working on recruiting contractual firefighters and has added 24 quick response vehicles to navigate congested areas more efficiently. DFS has also initiated the empanelment of third-party auditors, receiving applications from 18 to 20 auditors so far.
