Gujarat govt earmarks ₹200 crore for centralized firefighting force

Gandhinagar: In response to a series of fatal fire incidents, the Gujarat government is implementing a major fire safety reform with a ₹200 crore investment. Under the ‘One State, One Cadre’ policy, all municipal fire services will be unified into a centrally managed force to enhance emergency response times and prevent future disasters.

A task force, led by the state fire services director, will oversee the project to ensure uniform training, equipment, and resource allocation.

The Gujarat Fire and Emergency Services has allocated ₹32 crore to establish 16 new fire stations in various municipalities, including a model station in Ahwa, Dang. The goal is to achieve response times of 5-7 minutes in urban areas and 20 minutes in rural regions.

Around ₹40 crore will be used to buy vehicles and equipment, and ₹3.5 crore will fund quick response vehicles across six regional offices. Furthermore, 375 firefighting personnel will be recruited, and ₹13.44 crore has been set aside for this purpose.

Plans are also underway to develop a state Fire & Emergency Services (F&ES) headquarters along with an advanced control and command center. DeshGujarat