The Delhi Fire Services (DFS) has asked the Delhi government to increase on priority the number of staff, citing a severe shortage, of over 6,600 personnel—a shortage of over 72.5% against a requirement of 9,123 personnel—according to documents accessed by HT.To be sure, the proposal sent to the state home department quoted numbers on the basis of 24-hour shifts currently being undertaken by firefighters, against 8-hour shifts recommended by the Fire Safety Council “to reduce fatigue and improve operational efficiency”.Chief fire officer AK Malik confirmed that a proposal, a copy of which was accessed by HT, was sent in this regard.Also read | Delhi LG reviews deregulation drive, sets June 30 deadline for pending reformsA senior fire department official, who did not wish to be named, said, “A proper eight-hour shift system is the ideal operational model for firefighting agencies, but implementing it requires substantially higher manpower. At present, our personnel are managing under a stretched system because emergency response cannot stop.”Senior officials said that while a final decision is yet to be taken on the proposal, the government has given a verbal assent.“We are already working with the fire department to make a 25-year firefighting master plan. All staff, machinery and other requirements will be fulfilled in the next few years as the safety of Delhi residents is our top priority. We will leave no stones unturned in modernisation efforts of the fire department,” said Delhi home minister Ashish Sood.Also read | Fire incidents jump 73 pc in April, 32 deaths in 4 monthsDelhi continues to witness frequent fires in factories, warehouses, residential colonies and commercial buildings especially between April and August, during peak summer when power consumption increases due to increasing temperatures.According to the DFS proposal, the current strength of the fire department is around 2,500 personnel, operating across 71 fire stations in Delhi. While the DFS has said there is a requirement of 9,123 personnel, officials said that the requirement is based on a 24-hour shift.Based on the recommended 8-hour shift model, this equates to around 90.8% shortage of personnel, as the requirement increases to 27,369 personnel, with a shortage of 24,869 personnel.In all, 120 fire stations are sanctioned for Delhi, with 49 yet to be constructed. The proposal stated that this necessitates 48,000 fire operators in all, in line with standards set by the Standing Fire Advisory Council under the ministry of home affairs.Officials said the shortage impacts several aspects of firefighting operations, including response management, routine inspections, equipment maintenance, training schedules and reserve deployment during major emergencies.A second DFS official, who did not wish to be named, said, “Whenever there is a large blaze, personnel from multiple stations are pooled together. Often, firefighters who have just returned from one operation are redeployed to another emergency. The workload becomes especially intense during the summer months.”Officials said that the proposal comes due to the strain on emergency response infrastructure as the city expands rapidly and “high-density neighbourhoods continue to face issues, such as encroachments, narrow roads and illegal parking that hamper movement of fire tenders.”The second official said, “Our firefighters continue to respond round-the-clock despite limited manpower. The department has managed because personnel regularly go beyond standard demands of 24 hours.”Officials said the proposed expansion is also linked to the city’s future infrastructure need of 120 fire stations. “Several peripheral areas still await dedicated stations due to which they are dependent on distant units during emergencies,” the second official said.Senior officials said enhanced staffing would not only help implement scientifically designed shift systems but also improve response times, reduce fatigue among firefighters and strengthen preparedness during large-scale incidents.