Your next 3 chief fire officers to play musical chairs

After the untimely demise of former CFO Uday Tatkare , three deputies, all of whom are nearing retirement, will take charge one after the other

Come Monday and A N Shinde will occupy the Chief Fire Officer (CFO) room in Byculla, which was closed for over two weeks after the untimely demise of former fire chief Uday Tatkare. However, he will occupy the office for another three months, since he is due to retire in August. Shinde, the senior-most deputy chief fire officer (CFO) attached to Marol fire station, took charge as the acting CFO on April 30, two days after the demise of Tatkare. His papers are being processed at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and will be produced before the works committee for pronouncing his appointment as CFO, which will take another month.


Heir apparent: A N Shinde has taken over as acting Chief Fire Officer,
although he retires in another three months.

"The show must go on and I have already taken up the challenge. I admit, I have a mammoth task before me (see box), which needs to be completed on priority basis," says Shinde. Shinde is the recipient of President's Fire Service medal for gallantry for his bravery during the rescue operation on July 18, 2007, when tragedy struck Laxmi Chaya building in Borivili (E). According to fire officials, "The unfortunate demise of Tatkare has given three senior deputy fire officers the opportunity to serve as CFOs before their retirement, which would not have been possible otherwise."

Shinde agrees, "Tatkare saheb was to retire in October 2013, in which case none of us would have led the force." "After my retirement in August, Deputy CFO attached to Bandra, Hassan Mujawar will take charge for nine months. S V Joshi, Deputy Fire Officer from Colaba will follow. He would otherwise have retired with Tatkare in October 2013," Shinde said.

When asked how he plans to complete the tasks set out by Tatkare in four months, Shinde explains, "All deputy CFOs were part of Tatkare's decision-making process. We are fully aware of the tasks that Tatkare saheb had before him. The only difference is that instead of him, it will be me and Mujawar, who will try to complete maximum tasks during our tenure." Additional Municipal Commissioner Manisha Mahiskar was not available for comment.

A lot left to accomplish
The late Chief Fire Officer, Uday Tatkare, left behind several incomplete tasks after his untimely death on April 28, 2011. Some of these include:
>> Time bound promotion for firemen and other office staff, which has not been carried out by the fire department since its inception.
>> Pending promotions of fire officers.
>> Recruitment of lifeguards. On May 14, the department recruited seven lifeguards. Medical fitness tests are pending.
>> Recruitment of new firemen, fire officers and woman fire officers.
>> Procurement of new fire vehicles and equipment.
>> Upgrading of existing wireless systems at control rooms and fire engines.
>> Appointment of paramedical staff to man six sophisticated cardiac ambulances.
>> Establishment of command centre and decentralisation of fire departments at Byculla, Wadala, Marol, Borivli and Mankhurd.
>> Setting up a sophisticated fire training centre with a swimming pool, staff residential quarters, conference room etc.
>> Pre-monsoon refresher training for firemen and officers.