Fire brigade was on the dot at Oberoi, yet hours late at Taj

The Mumbai Fire Brigade has worked in dozens of major post-calamity rescue operations, but dousing fires even as terrorists constantly rained bullets and grenades on them was a first.

The Mumbai Fire Brigade has worked in dozens of major post-calamity rescue operations, but dousing fires even as terrorists constantly rained bullets and grenades on them was a first.

And, while they rescued over 750 men and women from the Taj, Oberoi and Trident hotels over 48 hours, they received severe criticism for one incredible delay: While fire engines reached the Oberoi within minutes of the attack, it was nearly another three hours before they reached the Taj, where the terrorists had set the sixth floor on fire. Chief Fire Officer Anil Sawant;s response: 8220;We got a call at 1 am on Thursday stating that there was a fire at the Taj. Within minutes, we reached with fire engines. There was no delay in responding to the call.8221;

The fire service was following an outdated protocol 8212; firemen traditionally move their machinery only when they receive a call.

To its credit, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation 8211; it operates the Mumbai Fire Brigade 8211; is already in the process of amending the protocol that firemen must follow in times of crises. Soon, when a fire station gets information of a fire or a situation where rescue operations are required, they will mobilize services without waiting for a call.

Another fact the BMC will hope to remedy soon: The firemen had neither bulletproof jackets nor protective gear, their bravado the only reason they continued to work with NSG commandos and the Mumbai police for 62 hours.

At the Taj, seeing the firemen spraying water, one terrorist hurled a grenade in the direction of where Sawant and joint chief fire officer P Rahangdale were standing. 8220;But they had not fully removed the pin of the grenade. It did not explode,8221; Sawant said. One bullet also punctured the tyre of a fire engine while a grenade injured fire-engine driver Mohan Taware 8211; all close shaves the Fire Brigade will be thinking hard about.

At the Taj, Sawant decided to ignore the requirements of protocol once: The rescue operation was initiated without informing Municipal Commissioner Jairaj Phatak, even as the NSG directed the firemen to stay away since they were inadequately equipped. 8220;There were people banging on the windows. We couldn8217;t just stand looking at them,8221; said Sawant, explaining why he didn8217;t wait for permissions.

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Starting with breaking windows are asking guests to do so, the first batch of seven firemen climbed up to the top floor where hostages were banging against the windows. Six hundred people were rescued from the Taj within the first 24 hours, another 150 from the Oberoi/Trident, where the first floor lobby was set on fire.

Master Charles Cannon, an American spiritual guru who was trapped on the 12th floor of the Oberoi, said the smoke had started entering the room, suffocating them. 8220;There were firemen standing on the ground floor, one spotted us and realized we were suffocating. By sign language, they told us to break the window,8221; he said. 8220;Had it not been for their presence of mind, we would have suffocated and died in that room.8221;