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PCMC to recruit 150 new firemen
The twin city has several industrial areas like Bhosari, Chakan, Talawade, Chinchwad, and Hinjewadi, along with a rising residential population
The short-staffed fire department of Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) will soon recruit 191 additional staffers, including 150 firemen. The fire department has been functioning with a severe staff shortage with just 38 firemen in 2023. However, following a prolonged demand, the State Government has finally approved the recruitment of additional staff, paving the way for the PCMC fire department to fill the void.
The twin city has several industrial areas like Bhosari, Chakan, Talawade, Chinchwad, and Hinjewadi, along with a rising residential population.
The civic body currently has 38 firemen and eight fire stations. However, considering the population and geographical area of the municipal corporation, the Fire Department requires over 250 staff, vehicles, and more fire stations.
The state government has given the go-ahead to recruit 191 employees, which includes—150 firemen, 15 drivers and machine operators, 10 chief fire officers, 10 deputy fire officers, and 6 fire station officers.
Vitthal Joshi, the deputy commissioner of PCMC, said, “We have received approval to start the recruitment for these posts and we will soon initiate the process. Public notice will be issued soon; however, the process will take time and the upcoming elections are likely to delay the process,” he said.
Manoj Lonkar, deputy commissioner of PCMC, said, given the shortage of staff every six months the department hires 100 trainees for apprenticeships to assist the fire officials during fire incidents.
“However, there is a lot of difference when it comes to taking responsibility when trainee and permanent staff are compared,” he said.
Lonkar further added, “The shortage of skilled manpower is still a major concern for the fire department. Currently, there are a total of 8 fire stations, and we will be adding five more fire stations and 16 new vehicles. A higher number of fire stations helps in improving the response time when every minute is important,” he said.
