Bhubaneswar: An important review meeting on fire and emergency services, home guards and civil protection was held at the conference room of Lok Seva Bhavan under the chairmanship of State Chief Secretary Anu Garg. In the meeting, State Director General of Police (Fire Services) Dr. Sudhanshu Sarangi presented various steps taken to increase the capacity of Odisha Fire Services and upcoming strategies.
Giving information in the meeting, DG Fire Services Dr. Sarangi said that as per the Disaster Management Act, Odisha Fire Services is the first to reach and rescue in cases of fire, road accidents, railway accidents, building collapses, drowning and other emergencies.
He further said that the firefighters usually provide services in more than 200 emergency incidents every day. They have set an example of social service by rescuing not only humans but also animals to save lives. The state is focusing on providing prompt service through 346 fire stations in urban and rural areas.
In 2025, the fire service received about 20,991 fire-related calls and provided immediate assistance, resulting in the rescue of property worth about Rs 598 crore and hundreds of lives, he mentioned adding that 9,547 people and 16,399 animals have been successfully rescued in various accidents.
Among the important steps taken to make fire and emergency services more efficient and strong, a 24-hour functional ‘State Command Centre’ has been set up at Baramunda, Bhubaneswar, due to which action is taken in a very short time in emergency situations and rapid monitoring can be done in coordination with all concerned.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi inaugurated a training centre dedicated to water rescue and underwater search operations at Ramachandi near Konark in December 2025. A ‘K-9’ dog squad has been formed for search and rescue operations, in which 10 trained dogs have been deployed in various cities of the state.
Likewise, the Fire Service Portal 2.0 has been implemented to make the fire service more active, issue fire safety licenses and make every work easy, smooth and fast. To maintain gender equality, the post of ‘Fireman’ has been renamed as ‘Firefighter’ or “Agni Yodha.” They are performing important responsibilities as fire fighters from the fire service personnel.
The Fire Service DG informed that women will also be recruited in the fire service sector in the coming days. The fire service branch is using social media to create awareness and information among the public. A total of 911 new fire fighters have been recruited and posted in various parts of the state. Steps have been taken to fill all the vacant posts at the earliest. Efforts also have been made to integrate civil defence assistance with fire services.
An MoU has been signed with the Odisha Tourism Department for training and certification of life guards for the hotel and tourism industry, which is considered a first in the country. Fire safety audits, automatic renewal and third party verification systems have also been implemented with an emphasis on ease of doing business.
Each firefighter will be given special training in a specific subject, including scuba diver, first aid, search and rescue, firefighter trainer, forest fire extinguishing, accident response, K-9, command center specialist, etc., and a system of providing specialist batches has been started, which will increase efficiency and prestige in fire service related work.
An Injury Management, Recovery and Rehabilitation Centre has been set up for the health and rehabilitation of firefighters after injuries. A modern Incident Command Vehicle has been set up at the scene of an incident in a very short time to establish a state-of-the-art control room and coordinate quickly.
Firefighters are being given advanced first aid training to protect people during large gatherings and festivals. Battery-powered arrangements have been made for firefighters to climb up and down large buildings for rescue work. PPE kits have been provided for firefighters in all fire stations in the state. Regular physical activity and health checks are being carried out to ensure that firefighters are physically fit and ready for duty.
In the review meeting, the Chief Secretary emphasized on further strengthening the fire service in the state and said that protecting property and lives from various accidents is an important part of good governance. In this context, he discussed various accident prevention measures and emphasized the importance of the fire department playing an effective role in reducing the number of drowning deaths every year. Taking this as a challenge, she expressed her strong hope that the fire fighters will play a key role.
The Fire Service has taken a special initiative like “Visit Fire Station Today” on Saturdays. Under this initiative, arrangements have been made for students, local leaders, officers, Anganwadi workers, NCC cadets etc. to visit the local Fire Stations, so that they can become aware of fire and emergency services and get training opportunities.
The Chief Secretary also emphasized on providing training on rescue from drowning, emergency response systems for snake bites at the Fire Stations.
Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department, Hemant Sharma, also joined the meeting and said that the fire fighters provide important services to the society by providing essential assistance in various sectors including fire safety. Therefore, he mentioned that all necessary arrangements are being made to enhance their skills and maintain continuity in their work.
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