‘Going to be a long night’: firefighters brace for exigencies

When the Capital is illuminated with lights and families spend time together on Deepavali, firefighters at the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) face a stiff challenge amid long working hours, responding to fire-related emergencies.

It’s been over a decade since Nitin Lohchab, the DFS officer, spent Deepavali with his family in Haryana. As a first responder with the fire services, Mr. Lohchab has spent the past 11 years in his firefighting suit, navigating through heavy traffic to reach fire scenes and responding to phone calls from people on the night of the festival of lights.

With the festival round the corner, Mr Lohchab recalled that in his first year at DFS, he could not keep track of the day. “Hours had just slipped away in picking calls and navigating traffic,” Mr. Lohchab said.

He predicted that the number of fire-related phone calls could rise this year after the Supreme Court lifted the blanket ban on the sale and purchase of firecrackers. “”In previous years, there was some level of ban. But this year, with green crackers being allowed, the sale of firecrackers has been rampant,” he said.

Preparedness

“Over 2,700 people work round the clock on Deepavali, and this year they will be accompanied by 255 firefighting units (vehicles) and 41 smaller vehicles as part of the quick response vehicles,” Mr. Lohchab said, adding that the DFS has cancelled leaves for employees on the day of Deepavali.

“This year, fire units have been deployed round the clock in 17 spots that include Bara Tooti Chowk, Tilak Nagar, Lajpat Nagar Central Market, South Extension, Sonia Vihar, etc, and QVR vehicles in 24 spots like Paharganj, Sadar Bazar, Nangloi, Palam Gol Chakkar are among other areas,” he said.

‘Bittersweet Deepavali’

Parvinder Kaur, 32, an officer working at the Connaught Place fire station for the past six years, will spend another Deepavali away from his family in Bahadurgarh, Uttar Pradesh. While he has gotten used to the rhythm of the day as the city around him celebrates Deepavali, the celebration for him remains “bittersweet”.

“In 2024, we stepped out to douse a fire in the Kashmere Gate area, and hours later, when we doused it, we had to rush to Paharganj for another fire. By the time we were done with both these fires, the day had already gone by,” said Mr Kaur.
Last year on the festival day, the DFS officer and his team returned to their station at 5 a.m. by the time the festivities were subdued.

For Mr. Kaur and several other DFS officers, the days leading up to Deepavali involve rigorous preparations. “We check our own equipment, PPE suits and send all our vehicles for maintenance, so that we are not caught unprepared,” he added.

Early dinners

Another DFS officer, Surendra Rathore, said that over the past four years of working on Deepavali, it has always meant early dinners. “We keep telling our juniors that they must have their dinners early that day. Once you are out with a vehicle, the entire night is gone,” said the 39-year-old, adding that while time management is crucial, navigating traffic on Deepavali night is the most arduous task.

“We can control fire and prevent massive losses if we can reach early, but the traffic is the biggest challenge,” he said.