Chapter II FIRE PREVENTION AND FIRE SAFETY MEASURES

Fire Force

1. (1) There shall be a Fire Force to be called the Delhi Fire Service for every local area in which this Act is in force.
2. (2) The Fire Force shall consist of such number of officers and other members and shall be constituted in such manner as may be prescribed.
3. (3) The members of the Fire Force shall wear such uniforms and shall be equipped with such appliances and gear as may be prescribed.

Superintendence and control of the Fire Force

1. (1) The superintendence and control of the Fire Force throughout the National Capital Territory of Delhi shall vest in the Director and shall be carried out by him in accordance with the provisions of this Act and of any rules made thereunder.
2. (2) The Director shall exercise such powers and perform such duties and functions as may be prescribed.

Appointment of members of the Force.—

1. (1) The recruitment, appointment, promotion and other service conditions of the members of the Force shall be such as may be prescribed.
2. (2) Subject to the provisions of this Act, the administration of the Force shall vest in the Director and shall be carried on by him in accordance with the provisions of this Act and of any rules made thereunder.

Issue of certificate to members of the Force.—

1. (1) Every person shall, on appointment to the Force, receive a certificate in such form as may be prescribed, under the seal of the Director or such other officer as the Director may authorize in this behalf, and thereupon the person shall have the powers, functions and privileges of a member of the Force under this Act.
2. (2) The certificate referred to in sub-section
3. (1) shall cease to have effect whenever the person named in it ceases for any reason to be a member of the Force.

Auxiliary Fire Force

1. (1) Whenever it appears to the Director that it is necessary to augment the Force, he may, with the prior approval of the Government, enroll such number of persons as Auxiliary Fire Force volunteers as he thinks fit.
2. (2) Every such volunteer shall, on enrolment, receive a certificate in such form as may be prescribed, and shall be vested with such of the powers, privileges and duties of a member of the Force as are mentioned in the said certificate.
3. (3) Every Auxiliary Fire Force volunteer shall be under the control of the Director, and may be called upon to discharge such duties as within the competence of a member of the Force, as may be assigned to him by the Director or any other officer authorised by him in this behalf.

Expenditure on the Force

1. (1) The expenditure on the Force shall be met out of the Consolidated Fund of the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
2. (2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), any person or body of persons or any local authority or other agency, who or which requires the services of the Force for any purpose, shall pay to the Government such charges as may be prescribed for such services.

Training centres.—The Director may, with the approval of the Government, establish and maintain training centres for the purpose of imparting training to the members of the Service or to any other persons desiring to undergo training in fire prevention and fire safety measures.

Powers of members of the Force on occasion of fire.—(1) On the occasion of a fire in any place within the jurisdiction of the Service, any member of the Force who is in charge of fire-fighting operations on the spot may—

1. (a) remove, or order any other member of the Force to remove, any person who by his presence interferes with or impedes the operations for extinguishing the fire or for saving life or property;
2. (b) close any street or passage, whether intended for passage of the public or otherwise, in or near which a fire is burning;
3. (c) break into or through, or pull down, any premises for the passage of hose or appliances or cause them to be broken into or pulled down, for the purpose of extinguishing the fire;
4. (d) require the 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 the fire has broken out and utilize the water of any available source of water, public or private;
5. (e) exercise the same powers for dispersing an assembly of persons likely to obstruct the fire-fighting operations as if he were an officer-in-charge of a police station and as if such an assembly were an unlawful assembly and shall be entitled to the same immunities and protection as such an officer, in respect of the exercise of such powers;
6. (f) generally take such measures as may appear to him to be necessary for extinguishing the fire or for the protection of life or property.

1. (2) Any damage done by the members of the Force in the course of the discharge of their duties under the provisions of sub-section
2. (1) shall be deemed to be damage by fire within the meaning of any policy of insurance against fire.

Powers of Director to prosecute or cause to be prosecuted.—

1. (1) The Director may, in the name of the Delhi Fire Service, institute, conduct or defend any suit or other proceeding for any purpose necessary for the proper discharge of his duties and functions under this Act.
2. (2) The Director may, in his discretion, cause to be prosecuted any person who has committed any offence under this Act or the rules made thereunder.