In a first,fire brigade selects two women for fire fighting ops

Around 124 years after its inception,the Mumbai Fire Brigade finally selected two firewomen,who will be part of the largely male-dominated force,on Monday.

The applications of Swati Balasaheb Satpute,27,from Maharana Pratap Nagar in Dharavi,and Sheetal Ramakant Salve,28,from Kailash Nagar in Dombivli,were approved by the department after the duo met the required standards of physical fitness. Monday was the first day of the week-long recruitment drive.

Of the total 119 posts to be filed,around 40 have been reserved for women candidates. Though the department employs women in clerical posts,this is the first time that it recruited women for fire fighting operations. There are around 2,400 fire fighters in the force at present but all are men.

Additional Municipal Commissioner Manisha Mhaiskar said the two women have been selected but their final induction will be based on the medical clearance and police report. They passed the initial physical fitness test that includes 800-metre running,climbing,push-ups and long jump, said Mhaiskar. A candidate should also pass class XII with at least 65 per cent marks to apply for the job. Though the remaining candidates had the required qualifications,they could not pass the physical endurance test. The selected candidates will be given training for a period of six months after which they will start off from the control post vans at the site of a fire and then go on to fight fire.

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