SRINAGAR: The firefighters in the Fire & Emergency Services have expressed frustration as they await long-overdue Departmental Promotion Committees (DPCs) that haven’t been conducted for over a decade. The lack of promotions has left many fire stations without adequate leadership or sufficient staff, raising concerns about the department’s ability to effectively respond to emergencies.
Firefighters within the department have expressed distress over the absence of career progression opportunities, with no promotions granted for the past ten years. They have stated that their pleas to higher officials have been ignored, leading to immense frustration among the workforce.
Sources in the department reveal that numerous leading firemen have completed mandatory firefighting courses in Nagpur, making them eligible for the position of Sub Officers. However, despite the presence of vacant positions and an increasing number of trained firefighters each year, their promotions have been indefinitely delayed.
The situation is dire across the union territory, with officials stating that three districts – Baramulla, Kupwara, and Bandipora – are being run by a single Assistant Director, while each district should have its own Assistant Director.
In an ideal setup, each district headquarters station should have an Assistant Director, followed by a Divisional Fire Officer, Station Officer, Sub Officers, and other supporting staff. However, even the Headquarters lacks a Sub Officer, let alone other fire stations. One firefighter, eligible for promotion to the Sub Officer position, has lamented waiting for over a decade to move up the ranks.
“These stations are currently managed by either selection grade firefighters or Hawaldars, both of whom lack the qualifications to serve as station in-charges,” he said.
According to regulations, a Sub Officer should assume this role, but due to a lack of promotions, qualified candidates are left waiting, while lower-ranking officers run the stations. Firemen from the 2010 batch are eligible to be promoted as Selection Grade in 2020 but, even after three years, they are still waiting for promotion.
The Selection Grade firemen from the 1998 batch have been waiting for over a decade to become Hawaldars but have yet to work as Selection Grade officers. The Hawaldars from the 1991 batch should have become Sub Officers ten years ago but are still working as Hawaldars when they should have been Divisional Fire Officers.
At least 300 employees, including Firemen and Selection Grade firemen, were asked to sit exams for promotion to the next level in the order dated 29th December 2021, and results are still awaited after about two years.
Surprisingly, in the entire north Kashmir and Ganderbal, there is only one Station Officer (Inspector) who is yet to be confirmed, as he is working as ‘in-charge’ and not confirmed yet.
The prolonged absence of promotions and the resulting staffing crisis within the Fire Services Department is raising concerns about the department’s ability to ensure public safety and respond effectively to fire emergencies.
Official sources have said that the “severe crisis” in career progression has taken a toll on the mental health of the employees. They stated, “Even our children taunt us for stagnation as we retire in the same grade where we were recruited. We fail to understand why we are not being promoted if there are available posts in the department. We are being punished for unknown reasons.”
Efforts must be made to address this issue promptly, ensuring that deserving firefighters are recognised and given the career advancement opportunities they deserve, while adequately staffing fire stations for the safety of the communities they serve, they added.
An official, while acknowledging the concerns of these firefighters, assured that the grievances will be brought to the attention of higher authorities. (KNO)
