Powers of employees of Fire and Emergency Service during fire or rescue operations

In the event of a fire or rescue operation in any area in which this Regulation is in force, any member of the Fire and Emergency Service, who is in-charge of the firefighting operations on the spot, may––

1. (a) remove or order any member of the Fire and Emergency Service to remove any person who by his presence interferes with or impedes the operation for extinguishing the fire or for saving life or property;
2. (b) close any street or passage in or near which a fire is being extinguished or rescue work is in progress;
3. (c) for the purposes of extinguishing fire and carrying out rescue operations, break into or pull down any premises for the passage of hoses or appliances or cause them to be broken into or pulled down causing minimum damage as possible for the purpose of extinguishing fire: Provided that the owner or occupier, as the case may be, of any such premises shall be paid such reasonable compensation to the extent of the damage caused, in such manner as may be prescribed;
4. (d) require any authority in-charge of water supply in the area to regulate the water mains so as to provide water at a specified pressure at the place where fire has broken out and utilise the water of any stream, cistern, well or tank or of any available source of water, public or private, for the purpose of extinguishing or limiting the spread of such fire and carrying out rescue operations in such manner as may be prescribed;
5. (e) exercise the same powers for dispersing an assembly of persons likely to obstruct the firefighting operations, as if he were an officer in-charge of a police station and as if such an assembly were unlawful assembly and shall be entitled to the same immunities and protection as such officer, in respect of exercise of such powers;
6. (f) detain a person who wilfully obstructs and hinders Fire and Emergency Service personnel in firefighting and rescue operations and shall hand him over to a police officer or at the nearest police station without any delay along with a brief note giving date, time and reasons of such detention;
7. (g) enter into an agreement with any person who employs and maintains personnel or equipment or both for firefighting purposes, on such terms, as may be prescribed for the purposes of dealing with fire occurring in any area; and
8. (h) take such measures as may appear to him to be necessary for extinguishing the fire or for the protection of life and property, or with both. ---