MANUAL-1 

Particulars of Organization, Functions & Duties

[Section-4 (1) (b) (I)]

1. Mission and Visions:

• To provide dedicated, prompt and efficient fire and emergency services during fire incidents, man-made and natural disasters with compassion, respect and courtesy and to develop organisational pride in being a member of the Odisha Fire Service.
• To develop skill by continuous training and learning and to equip the organisation in order to effectively discharge the dual mandate of conventional fire-fighting and disaster mitigation and to place itself as a leading organisation amongst its peers at the national and international level.
• To ensure community safety by creating mass awareness regarding fire safety, life safety and disaster management in the society and thereby mitigating the fire loss and improving effective and timely rescue and life saving activities.
• To continue to adopt technological innovations in the interest of public service and bring about transformational changes in the public delivery system.

2. Brief History:

Odisha Fire Service owes its origin to pre-independence era. It was in the year 1936, when Odisha became a separate state having its capital at Cuttack, the then British Police administration symbolically started Fire Service by putting some fire buckets in front of its magazine guard at Cantonment Road, Cuttack. But during the World War II, in the year 1942, when Japanese war planes started bombarding the coastal districts of Odisha, particularly in Kujanga & Paradip area of present Jagatsinghpur district, the British administration of Odisha decided to set up Fire Stations in the coastal districts.
To start with the proposal, on 1st March 1942, ten police constables with Havildar Sd. Sallimuddin under the charge of Sergeant Major Hurtson James were attached to Cantonment Police Phandi (Police out post) at Cantonment Road Cuttack for firefighting duty. This unit was provided with two Ford petrol driven trucks with inscription, "Emergency Police Force". The pay and emoluments of Sergeant Major (Fire) was fixed to Rs.40/-as per Govt. order No.1121/ARP dt.25.03.42. The Police personnel (Firemen) attached to Cantonment Phandi for firefighting were granted Fire brigade allowance of Rs.5/- per month w.e.f. 01.03.1942 vide DO. No.16 dt.01.03.1942. They were also given war allowance wef.01.09.1942. So officially Fire Service started in Odisha on 1st March 1942.

In the year 1943, Fire advisor to Govt. of India visited Odisha to find out the feasibility for expansion of Fire Services in Odisha. As per his recommendation four Fire Stations were sanctioned for Balasore, Cuttack, Puri and Berhampur. In the same year, recruitment was held for enrolment of regular Firemen for opening of these Fire Stations vide DO. No.41/1943. To begin with, twelve Firemen were recruited for opening of Puri Fire Station. Mr. Hemayat Khan of Balipatna, Jagatsinghpur was first to join as regular Fireman on 27.07.1943. His pay was fixed to Rs.15/- vide DO. No.41/1943. He was the first Fireman of Odisha Fire Service. Besides, a regular Fire officer, Mr. J.R.G. Hatchson Stainchane was posted vide office order No.243 dt. 12.08.1943. Havildar Sallimuddin who was under deputation from Police to Fire Service was promoted to the rank of Station Officer on 01.10.1943. He was the first Station Officer of Odisha Fire Service. The next man to get promotion to Station Officer was D.P. Mishra.

The Cuttack Fire Station was shifted from Cantonment Outpost to its present accommodation at Buxibazar in the year 1944. So, Cuttack Fire Station assumes the glory of being the first Fire Station of Odisha Fire Service. The other three Fire Stations at Puri, Balosore and Berhampur were made functional w.e.f. 01.04.1944 under the charge of district Superintendent of Police vide G.O. No.3360 dt.12.04.1944.

In 1950, after shifting of the capital of Odisha from Cuttack to Bhubaneswar, Fire Station at Bhubaneswar was opened. Similarly, during construction of Hirakud Dam Sambalpur Fire Station was opened inside the Reserve Police Line, Sambalpur in the year 1954. In 1955, seven Fire Stations were made functional at Aska, Sonepur, Athagarh, Jeypore, Dhenkanal, Bhadrak & Khurda. By 1963, twelve Fire Stations were already functioning in Odisha. All these Fire Stations were under administrative control of district Superintendents of Police. The power of administration was transferred to Fire Officer in order to streamline Fire Service administration, Odisha vide G.O. No.21790/P dt.10.09.1963.

After independence and departure of British officers the responsibility of administration was vested with AFO Mohindra Singh who was later promoted to the rank of Fire Officer in the year 1963.

By 1980 all District HQs and Sub-Divisional HQs of Odisha were provided with fire-fighting units. The number of Fire Stations was 75. Though the administration of F.Ss. was looked after by Fire Officer, Odisha but the personnel were governed under Police Manual Rule and Odisha Fire Service continued to function as a wing of Odisha Police.

With the enactment of Odisha Fire Service Act in 1993 Odisha Fire Service ceased to be part of the police establishment. In the aftermath of the fire disaster in a religious congregation at Baripada in 1997, the policy of the government to have Fire Stations in each Block of the State had taken momentum. Accordingly, Odisha Fire Services grew rapidly bringing the total number of sanctioned Fire Stations in Odisha to 346 as on September 2023.