Chandigargh: No safety certificate? Firefighting in your building could cost you dear

According to the details, if the firemen use a hydraulic platform-cum-turn table ladder vehicle for the first four hours, the building owner will have to pay Rs 8,000 and if the firemen take up to eight hours in dousing the fire using the hydraulic machine, the building owner will have to pay Rs 12,000. Beyond eight hours, Rs 16,000 will be charged.

At the same time, if a water tender, water bowser and multipurpose tender is used, Rs 5,000 will have to be paid for the first four hours. For next four hours, Rs 10,000 will be paid and over eight hours, Rs 15,000 will have to be paid by the owner.

Interestingly, the owner will have to pay 18 per cent GST over all these charges.

If a motorcycle is used with the fire kit to douse the fire, for first four hours, Rs 3,000 will be charged, from four hours to eight hours, Rs 5,000 will be charged and after eight hours, Rs 8,000 will be charged.

“This is informed that at present no charges are being taken from the owners of commercial buildings who fail to avail the fire safety certificate facility if fire occurs at their premises. The fire department has already issued notices to the various occupants of the commercial buildings to install fire safety equipment as per norms. Despite that, they did not bother to do the same. During the fire call, lots of fire tenders, sophisticated, costly machinery, equipment and professional manpower are being used to control any kind of fire and emergency for those buildings,” states the agenda that is to be placed before the House.

Standing duty charges

It has also been decided that firemen will also charge standing duty every hour. Standing duty is undertaken when firemen are stationed at any event with the vehicle. In events and on other special occasions, whenever a fire brigade is stationed within Chandigarh for commercial activity, Rs 1,000 per vehicle per hour will be charged. Then for duty at any social or religious activity, Rs 500 per hour per vehicle will be charged.

If duty is to be performed outside Chandigarh, for all types of activities, Rs 3,000 per hour per vehicle will be charged.

It has been decided by the fire safety committee that these charges will also be taken from the government departments as well if the fire tenders are stationed at the events of respective government departments.
Officials said the funds collected through these will be used in the revamp and maintenance of fire tenders and other vehicles.

No lessons learnt

There are approximately 30,000 commercial buildings in the city but even now only 1,800 fire safety certificates have been issued, as per details with the UT fire department.

Despite such a major incident of fire in the coaching centre at Surat and Chandigarh Administration serving several notices on all the coaching centres and other commercial buildings, not much compliance has been done.