Powers of members of the Force on occasion of fire

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.