Ambiguous accountability in fire safety rules plagues FSC renewals

There is no clarity on accountability of offi cers in case of mishaps; fi re safety offi cers will inspect premises and issue renewal certifi cates which will have to be verifi ed by CFO/RFOs

- Brendan Dabhi

While the people in Gujarat lay confused over processes of renewals of their buildings’ Fire Safety certificates (FSCs), with the process still in flux, the Gujarat government amended the Gujarat Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act, notifying the changes on June 24. These amendments have sparked backlash over glaring omissions and ambiguity in the filing of accountability in cases of tragedies.

A fire officer said, “The state has made no attempt to fix responsibility of the Fire Safety Officers (FSOs) by keeping this matter ambiguous and open to interpretation. This is an open road to scapegoating department officers if and when another tragedy occurs in the state.”