With fire risks peaking during festivities, Gurugram’s emergency force goes on full alert — 260 personnel, ten quick-response units, and round-the-clock control rooms stand ready to safeguard the millennium city.
By Sarhind Times Haryana Bureau
Gurugram | October 19, 2025
As festive lights flicker across Gurugram’s skyline, another set of lights — those atop red fire tenders — are staying on standby through the night.
In an unprecedented safety mobilisation, the Gurugram Fire Department has cancelled all staff leaves until Wednesday, October 23, and stationed response teams across residential and commercial hotspots ahead of Diwali.
The order, signed by Chief Fire Officer Tejpal Yadav, directs 260 personnel and more than 50 vehicles to operate on a 24×7 roster.
The objective: ensure that the city’s celebration of light does not become a scene of flame.
The Season of Sparks
Every year, fire incidents spike during Diwali week as careless disposal of firecrackers, faulty decorative lighting, and rooftop celebrations trigger blazes in high-rise societies and markets. Last year alone, the city recorded over 80 fire calls between Dhanteras and Bhai Dooj.
While most were minor, officials say the potential for tragedy is ever present in dense urban clusters like Sohna Road, DLF Phase III, and Sector 56.
“We don’t get holidays when the city celebrates,” said CFO Tejpal Yadav, standing beside rows of polished fire tenders at the Sector 29 headquarters.
“Fire safety is our duty and our devotion — every second we save a life, it’s our festival.”
Citywide Deployment
Under the Diwali Emergency Plan 2025:
- Ten Quick Response Teams (QRTs) will patrol high-risk zones including MG Road, Sadar Bazaar, Sector 29 market, and Udyog Vihar.
- Seven fire stations — Sector 29, Sector 37, Manesar, DLF, Badshahpur, Pataudi, and Bilkeshwar — are fully staffed.
- Portable extinguishers and water bowsers are placed at community events and crowded societies.
- Control rooms operate in three shifts with direct radio links to police and medical services.
Each station has been instructed to conduct nightly fire patrols from 6 p.m. to midnight, focusing on markets where temporary electric wiring and open flames pose major hazards.
Societies Under Scrutiny
The department has issued advisories to more than 900 RWAs and commercial buildings, asking them to ensure functional hydrants, unobstructed staircases, and working alarm systems.
Inspections at high-rises in Golf Course Road and Dwarka Expressway revealed that one in four buildings lacked fully charged extinguishers. Notices have been served for non-compliance under the Haryana Fire Safety Act, 2009.
“In most societies, residents spend lakhs on decorations but forget to service hydrants,” remarked Assistant Divisional Officer Meena Kataria.
“A festive spark can turn fatal within minutes if protocols fail.”
Technology and Training
To reduce response times, the department has integrated its dispatch system with ‘Har Samay Help’, the state’s real-time emergency platform that uses GPS data to auto-assign the nearest fire tender.
Drone units will assist in assessing rooftop fires in high-rises where access is limited.
Personnel have undergone refresher training in hazmat response, electrical fire control, and first aid over the past week.
“Earlier we relied on phone calls and maps; now AI routing and traffic integration cut our average arrival time by 40 percent,” said Station Officer Rohit Sangwan.
The Human Side of Duty
For firefighters, festive duty is routine but emotionally draining. Most live in department quarters near stations, sharing quick meals between calls. Families understand that their own celebrations wait until the city’s are safe.
“My kids light their diyas after I come home at midnight,” said fireman Arun Mann, a 15-year veteran.
“They say, ‘Papa, you save others’ Diwali.’ That’s enough for me.”
Women fire officers — a growing presence in the department — are also on frontline duties this year, marking a first for the city’s fire history. Their deployment symbolizes both inclusivity and resolve.
Statistics and Safety Record
According to fire department data:
- 2021: 58 Diwali-week fire incidents (three major).
- 2022: 74 incidents; damage estimated ₹2.3 crore.
- 2023: 82 incidents; no fatalities due to faster response.
- 2024: 61 incidents after strict cracker ban enforcement.
The goal for 2025: “Zero casualty, minimum property loss.”
Collaboration Across Agencies
Gurugram Police and the Municipal Corporation have jointly mapped fire-risk zones. Temporary fire points are set up near Sadar Bazaar and Sector 14 for quicker access.
BSES and Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitaran Nigam teams are coordinating to disconnect illegal power connections used for festival lighting. The Health Department has assigned ambulances with paramedics at strategic junctions.
“Our goal is one team, one response,” said Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav. “The city’s scale demands inter-agency coordination — and this time, we are ready.”
Public Advisories
The department’s campaign “Safe Diwali 2025” lists simple but life-saving steps:
- Avoid bursting crackers on terraces or near vehicles.
- Keep a bucket of sand or water handy.
- Use certified LED lights; switch off before sleep.
- Keep children under adult supervision.
- Don’t block staircases with decor items.
- Immediately report any smoke or electrical smell to 101 or nearest fire station.
Pamphlets have been distributed across societies and schools. Community volunteers — dubbed “Fire Friends” — are helping demonstrate basic extinguisher use.
Corporate Responsibility
Many Gurugram-based companies in Cyber City and Udyog Vihar are conducting in-house fire drills before long holiday closures.
DLF and Ambience Group have announced donations of modern hydrants and foam extinguishers to the municipal fire wing.
Insurance providers are offering discounts on “fire risk compliance” certificates to housing societies that complete mandatory drills.
“Safety is not a cost; it’s a continuity plan,” said Anil Arora, Head of Facility Safety at a Cyber Hub IT firm.
“A single spark can undo years of investment.”
Festivity with Responsibility
Fire officials stress that their efforts must be matched by public discipline.
While Gurugram has moved toward eco-friendly celebrations, firecracker sales still thrive in peripheral markets. Teams are patrolling to ensure that banned crackers and open flames don’t slip through.
RWAs in DLF Phase 5 and Sohna Road are hosting “Community Diwali” events with laser shows instead of pyrotechnics.
“We light up without smoke,” said RWA President Shilpa Madan. “It’s safer for kids and the air alike.”
Psychological Preparedness: Fire Fighters as Counsellors
Years of experience have made many officers informal counsellors for citizens who panic during emergencies. The department runs a “Call Before Fear” campaign — educating residents that dialling 101 early can save minutes and lives.
“We want people to see us as friends, not sirens,” said Fire Officer Sanjay Kundu. “Half of Delhi NCR’s fires grow big because people try to douse them before calling us.”
Infrastructure Challenges
Despite preparedness, the department faces gaps — aging vehicles, narrow lanes, and construction encroachments that block hydrants. Only three of Gurugram’s seven stations have aerial ladders capable of reaching 25-storey buildings.
A proposal for two new stations at Sector 92 and New Palam Vihar is awaiting state clearance.
Environmental activists also urge integration of rainwater harvesting tanks as auxiliary fire-water sources.
“We can turn flood water into fire water,” suggested architect Pooja Chaudhary in a recent urban design forum.
Public Engagement and Education
Schools are hosting “Know Your Fire Hero” sessions, where officers demonstrate gear and share stories with students.
Children are encouraged to draw posters on fire safety, creating a generational shift from reaction to prevention.
Cultural groups plan a tribute on Fire Service Day (Oct 21) at Leisure Valley Grounds, where citizens will light candles in memory of fallen firefighters nationwide.
Editorial Perspective: Heroes Behind the Hose
In a city known for its luxury malls and high-rises, the real glow of Diwali often comes from those in soot-stained uniforms who stand between flame and family.
Their readiness symbolises the other side of urban progress — a commitment to public safety that rarely makes headlines but always saves them.
This Diwali, when the city looks to the sky for fireworks, perhaps it should also look to the ground — where its guardians wait with hoses and hope.
#Gurugram #FireSafety #Diwali2025 #UrbanSafety #Haryana #CivicAlert #SarhindTimes
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