KOCHI: Even as local bodies and citizens raise concern over the shortage of firefighters as well as the lack of equipment for dealing emergencies, the department of fire and rescue services refuted these reports.Regional fire officer P Dileepan said the fire and rescue services has issues similar to that faced by any other government departments. “Staff crunch or any other issues has not affected our efficiency or functioning. We were able to carry out our duties effectively even during the floods. The department is capable of handling any kind of crisis,” he said.Sources in the fire and rescue department said there are 18 fire stations in the district, and around 20% of the total sanctioned strength are lying vacant. Besides, there is a shortage of drivers too. According to Dileepan, in Ernakulam the department has a total of 600 personnel in all categories. Most stations have seven drivers. As per regulations the number of drivers is limited to four at certain stations. Major stations such as Gandhi Nagar have 17 drivers.The regional fire officer said shortage occurs mainly when staff members go on leave and added that if the strength of staff is increased, it will minimize the burden on existing personnel. Attrition is also high in the department because of low-pay scale and high risk involved. Qualified personnel joining the services quit the job once they get better jobs. Retirements and delay in making new appointments add to the woes.On increasing the number of posts in the department, he said the senior officials at the headquarters draft such proposals.

Stay updated with all the Latest Kochi headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.