Delhi’s population is now estimated at 3.4 crore. The city’s fire service, however, runs on just 3,312 sanctioned posts, and even those are far from filled.

It’s a paradox the fire services know well. The department works mostly unseen – until something goes horribly wrong. Then it faces the backlash, whether after last year’s nightclub fire in Goa that operated without a fire compliance certificate, or the Noida drowning where rescuers reportedly didn’t have the right equipment. 

In Delhi, vacancies are severe across the operational command centre. As of January 31, nearly 80 percent of station officer posts – the officers who head fire stations – are vacant. More than half the posts for leading firemen and drivers are also unfilled.

Yet emergencies don’t slow down. Last year, the service received an average of 98 calls a day across its 66 stations – a total of 35,865 calls. 

The drill

To understand what these shortages mean in practice, it is important to first understand how the Delhi Fire Service is meant to respond to emergencies.

When a fire breaks out in a Delhi neighbourhood or market, the emergency response begins with a call to 112 – the centralised emergency helpline.

Operators assess the nature of the incident and route the call to relevant agencies – typically the Delhi Police, Delhi Fire Service, and ambulance services. In cases involving building collapse, flooding or mass casualties, disaster management agencies are alerted as well.

On receiving any fire call, a fire engine departs from one of the city’s fire stations, usually staffed by a crew of six: a driver, operation in-charge, and four fire operators/firemen. The vehicle carries firefighting and rescue equipment including hoses, breathing apparatus, foam cylinders, axes, ropes extending up to 200 feet, gloves and various cutting tools.

During such an operation, the fire department will have to navigate through traffic, the police will make sure the crowd is managed, the electricity department will cut the electric lines. An attempt will then be made to douse the blaze and rescue the affected, facing the risk of cylinder blasts and building collapse. 

In case the assigned fleet and resources are not enough, the fire is labelled a ‘Make-4’ level, which necessitates the presence of four more water tenders and an assistant divisional officer (ADO). This is followed by a ‘Make-6’ level response. If that still does not work, the fire is declared a ‘medium’ fire, which generally involves 20 to 25 fire tenders.

25% posts vacant in Delhi’s Fire Service 

As per DFS data reviewed by Newslaundry, this is where the vacancies stand as of January 31, 2026:

Station officers: Out of 90 sanctioned posts for station officers (STOs), 72 remain vacant. As per recruitment norms, half of these posts are meant to be filled through direct recruitment, while the other half are reserved for those promoted within the department. 

However, the DFS has been able to promote only 18 STOs, leaving the remaining posts unfilled. This translates to an 80 percent vacancy rate in one of the most critical operational positions.

The station officer is a pivotal role within the fire service, broadly comparable to an SHO in the police. The STO heads a fire station and is........

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