In a high-level review meeting held on Wednesday at Lok Seva Bhawan, Chief Secretary Anu Garg emphasised the need for more effective measures by fire personnel—referred to as “Fire Warriors” (Agni Yoddhas)—to significantly reduce drowning-related deaths across Odisha.
The meeting, focused on the Fire and Emergency Services, Home Guards, and Civil Defence, was attended by senior officials, including Director General of Fire Services Dr Sudhanshu Sarangi and Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Hemant Sharma.
Presenting an overview, DG Dr Sarangi highlighted the Odisha Fire Service’s frontline role in disaster management under the Disaster Management Act. The department responds first to incidents, including fires, road and rail accidents, building collapses, drownings, and other emergencies. On average, fire personnel handle over 200 emergency calls daily, saving lives and property while also rescuing animals.
In 2025, the service attended approximately 20,991 fire-related calls, saving assets worth around ₹598 crore and rescuing over 100 individuals. Additionally, 9,547 people and 16,399 animals were successfully rescued from various accidents. The state operates 346 fire stations, ensuring prompt service in urban and rural areas.
Key initiatives to enhance capacity include:
- Establishment of a 24×7 State Command Centre at Baramunda, Bhubaneswar, for faster coordination and response.
- Inauguration of a dedicated underwater search and rescue training centre at Ramchandi near Konark in December 2025 by the Chief Minister.
- Formation of K-9 dog squads with 10 trained dogs deployed across cities for search and rescue.
- Launch of Fire Service Portal 2.0 to streamline fire safety licensing, renewals, and operations.
- Renaming “Fireman” to “Fire Fighter” or “Agni Yoddha” to promote gender neutrality, with plans to recruit women in the future.
- Recruitment of 911 new fire warriors and efforts to fill all vacancies.
- Integration of Civil Defence with fire services.
- Signing of an MoU with the Tourism Department for training and certifying lifeguards in hotels and tourism sectors—a first in India.
- Implementation of simplified fire safety audits, auto-renewals, and third-party verification for ease of business.
- Specialised training programs in areas like scuba diving, first aid, search and rescue, K-9 handling, and more, creating expert batches.
- Setting up an Injury Management, Recovery, and Rehabilitation Centre for personnel.
- Deployment of modern Incident Command Vehicles for on-site control rooms.
- Enhanced first-aid training for large crowds and festivals, battery-operated climbing systems for high-rise rescues, provision of PPE kits at all stations, and regular fitness and health checks.
Social media campaigns raise public awareness, while programs like “Visit Fire Station Today” on Saturdays engage students, NCC cadets, Anganwadi workers, and locals for awareness and hands-on training.
Chief Secretary Garg stressed that protecting lives and property from accidents is a key aspect of good governance. She urged the department to take a leading role in curbing annual drowning deaths through proactive measures, including training on water rescues, snakebite response, and other emergencies at fire stations.
Additional Chief Secretary Sharma commended the fire warriors for their multi-faceted contributions beyond fire safety, including in industry and tourism, and assured continued support for skill enhancement and resource needs.
The review underscores Odisha’s commitment to building a more efficient, responsive, and equipped Fire and Emergency Services to safeguard citizens effectively.
