1. In 1772, Calcutta became the capital of British India, and the first Governor General Warren Hastings moved all important offices from Murshidabad to Calcutta. In 1780 whole Calcutta was surrounded by Basti Huts and Jute Industries, several devastating fires took place and thousands of Basti Huts were gutted in fire. About hundreds of human beings had to sacrifice their lives due to fire. Government published a gazette notifying the use of combustible articles as restricted for making houses. In 1865 the first five fire engines arrived in Calcutta — three horse-drawn and two man-driven — all imported from Britain after the fire services came under Calcutta Corporation in 1871. The fire engines, which had to be winded, have given the Bengali name- ‘Damkal’. In 1822 Police Commission of British Government adopted the basic idea of Fire Service. In 1911 the fire brigade was motorized and by the end of 1912 three motor pumps and one motor turn-table ladder were commissioned. Till 1912, Calcutta was the capital of India. The Calcutta Fire Brigade was strengthened by the addition of an auxiliary fire service, the cost of which was born entirely by Govt., and a parallel organization named The Bengal Fire Service was created by Govt., under which fire stations were established in densely populated and industrial towns of Bengal. The movement of the fire engines spread up and firefighting capacity was enhanced manifold. Undivided Bengal had only two city fire brigades — Calcutta Fire Brigade and Darjeeling Fire Brigade. Westbrook had turned Calcutta Fire Brigade into an organization that never slept, was never off-duty and was ready to move at a second’s notice. After cessation of last world war and partition of Bengal, Govt. Decided to maintain a permanent State Fire Service covering the whole of West Bengal. Pursuant to that decision, The West Bengal Fire Service Act. 1950 was enacted and the employees of the Calcutta Fire Brigade, the auxiliary Fire Service and the Bengal Fire Service were absorbed in the newly created West Bengal Fire Services under the administrative control of Local Self Government Department, now known as the Municipal affairs and Urban Development Department. Chinese aggression in 1962 led to the establishment of large number of fire stations and the appointment of consequential supervisory staffs. Since then, the West Bengal Fire Service expanded gradually. In the year 2000 Director General from the I.P.S. Cadre of Police Department was introduced in West Bengal Fire Service. In 2001 the Fire Service Department was segregated from the Municipal

   Affairs Department and full-fledged Department of Fire Services was notified with a separate budget head, Secretary-in-Charge, and Minister for Fire Services Department. Thus, West Bengal, the home of the oldest fire services in India also became the first State in the country to have a separate Ministry for the Fire Services. The West Bengal Fire Services Department was renamed as West Bengal Fire & Emergency Services Department in the year 2005.

2. At present, this department is committed for saving life and properties of the people of West Bengal with 165 nos. of fire stations.

3. District wise break up is given below:-

    

   Name of the District	No. of Fire Stations	Name of the District	No. of Fire Stations
   Alipurduar	6	Purba Bardhhaman	7
   Cooch Behar	9	Paschim Bardhhaman	5
   Jalpaiguri	6	Purba Medinipur	7
   Uttar Dinajpur	5	Paschim Medinipur	5
   Dakshin Dinajpur	3	Jhargram	1
   Darjeeling	7	Bankura	4
   Kalimpong	1	Birbhum	5
   Malda	3	Purulia	4
   Murshidabad	7	North 24 Pargans	23
   Nadia	9	South 24-Parganas	13
   Howrah	6	Kolkata	16
   Hooghly	13

Powers and duties of its officers and employees are in commensuration with the Chapter 2 (Organisation of the Secretariat) of West Bengal Secretariat Manual 2019

All decision making process are done in accordance with the Rules of Business of this Government issued under Article 166(3) of the Constitution of India as well as in terms of the West Bengal Secretariat Manual, West Bengal Fire Services Act, 1950, National Building Code, Relevant Municipal Laws and other relevant laws in force in the State of West Bengal.

In accordance with the West Bengal Fire Services Act, 1950 as well as Fire Service Manual and National Building Code, Relevant Municipal Laws and other relevant laws in force in the State of West Bengal as well as in terms of the relevant Government Rules and Orders as issued from time to time.

The rules, regulations, instructions, manuals and records held by the Department are concerned, the employees of this Department discharge

their duties as per the following:

a. Rules of Business of the Government;

b. West Bengal Treasury Rules;

c. West Bengal Financial Rules;

d. West Bengal Fire Services Act, 1950; 

e. National Building Code, as amended from time to time;

f. Relevant Municipal Laws;

g. West Bengal Fire Service Manual;

h. Other relevant laws that are in force in the State of West Bengal.

a. West Bengal Fire Service Act, 1950, as amended from time to time;

b. Fire Service Manual;

c. Service Book of all officers and staff (The Service Books of the officers of the cadres of IAS and WBCS are held by the P&AR and e-Governance Department);

d. Files related to Establishment, Accounts, Budget, Audit, Legal matters, Right to Information Act, Vigilance/Departmental Proceedings, Enquiry/ Allegations, West Bengal Health Scheme, Public Grievance, Public Relations/Press, Direct Recruitment, Promotion, Compassionate appointment, WBLA, procurement, tender, construction, renovation, Fire Safety and Awareness, Training, Rule framing etc.

e. Other miscellaneous files.

West Bengal Fire Services Welfare Board and West Bengal Fire Services District Welfare Board.

There are

(1) Technical Expert Committee, 

(2) Technical Committee, 

(3) Condemnation Committee etc. Only themembers of the respective Committee are allowed in the meetings. The minutes are accessible to the public.

Vide Annexure – I

All the officers and employees under the Department of Fire & Emergency Services are getting remuneration in their respective levels in accordance with WBS (ROPA) Rules, 2019. The details are given in Annexure – II. There is no system of compensation provided in the regulations to the employees. However, there is a system of providing of compassionate appointment to the next of kin of the employees who died-in-harness.

There is no agency under this Department, but only a directorate, namely, Directorate of Fire & Emergency Services, West Bengal under this Department. A statement of the Major/Minor Head of Account-wise Budget Provision, Fund Released, Expenditure Incurred under SDS during the Financial Year 2023-24 is given at Annexure III.

Does not arise.

e-district 2.0 portal for grant of Fire Safety Recommendation, Fire Safety Certificate and Fire License; HRMS, IFMS, WBHS, e-office etc.

Through EoDB Shilpasathis, e-district portal, www.wbfes.gov.in and Right to Information Act, 2005. There is no library maintained by the Department of Fire & Emergency Services for public use.

Vide Details of SPIO / SAPIO