A major decision has been taken to address the ever-increasing fire incidents in Delhi and the long-standing staff shortage in the fire department. The Union Home Ministry has approved a proposal to recruit 10,743 new positions in the Delhi Fire Service (Delhi Fire Service Recruitment 2026). This proposal has now been sent to the Delhi government for final administrative and financial approval. The recruitment process will begin as soon as the government’s approval is received.
Green signal received from Home Ministry
According to A.K. Malik, Chief Fire Officer of the Delhi Fire Service, a detailed recruitment proposal was sent to the Home Ministry about five months ago, citing the department’s acute staff shortage. After review, the ministry’s high-level committee approved recruitment for 10,743 posts. After final approval, the file will be sent to the Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board (DSSSB).
The recruitment process will be done through DSSSB
After receiving approval from the Delhi government, the DSSSB will issue a recruitment advertisement. This will be followed by the application process, written examination, and other selection stages. Selected candidates will receive specialized professional training for the Delhi Fire Service before being appointed. Upon completion of this training, they will be deployed to various fire stations.
Increased recruitment needs after major fires
In recent months, several major fires, including those in Hauz Rani, Vivek Vihar, Palam, and Tughlakabad, resulted in significant loss of life and property. Manpower shortages in the fire department posed a serious challenge during these incidents. The new recruitment is expected to significantly improve the department’s emergency response capabilities.
71 fire stations face acute shortage of officers
Delhi’s 71 fire stations have 90 sanctioned station officer positions, but only 18 are currently employed. Of these, approximately 12 officers are due to retire soon, which is expected to put additional pressure on the department.
12,214 fire incidents in six months, 69 deaths
Between January and June 2026, 12,214 fire incidents were recorded in Delhi. These incidents resulted in 69 deaths and 494 injuries. June alone saw 25 fatalities, the most for any month in 2026. June saw 2,111 fire calls, while May saw the highest number of fire calls of the year with 3,410.