Mumbai:
The BMC has set up a five-member committee to draft a Standard Operating Proce dure (SOP) for various activities of the Mumbai Fire Brigade However, experts said the chal lenge was to get the written manual implemented.
Problems like unionism have been plaguing the fire force, leading to lack of coordi nation between the firemen, officers and the administrative body , claimed experts. But se nior civic officials said the fire brigade, which is said to be a dis ciplined force, will have to ad here to the SOP once it is laid down in black and white.
The decision to form a com mittee was taken after an inqui ry panel, set up to probe last month's Kalbadevi building fire, suggested that the SOP be drafted. The committee has be en given fixed terms of referen ce and three months, beginning from June 10, to draft the SOP .
The fire brigade has been at the receiving end following two major fires in the city in the past one month that claimed the lives of ten people.
A former chief fire officer said, “Hopefully , this SOP shou ld not be a cut-and-paste job and be drafted keeping the ground realities in mind. With one of the major challenges before the fire brigade being unionism, it's important that the unions, fire officers and administration come on the same platform.Drafting an SOP may be an easy job, but getting the firemen to adhere to it would be a task.“
Citizens, meanwhile, lauded the efforts. “It was high time that an SOP was framed. A force like this cannot work without a set protocol and if it expects to be respected like its counterparts in other nations, then it should be disciplined and follow a set procedure,“ said Indrani Malkani, an activist from V Citizens Action Network.
The BMC has already tightened the noose around the firemen. Following Saturday's Chandivli fire, 40 firemen, driv ers, operators and station incharge have been issued showcause notices for not wearing personal protective equipment.
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