Srinagar, Dec 31, KNT: The Fire and Emergency Services, Jammu and Kashmir recorded significant improvements in public safety and emergency management during 2025, marked by a sharp decline in fire incidents, faster response mechanisms, and expanded community participation across the Union Territory.
Official figures show that the department responded to 6,039 fire calls, 59 rescue calls, and 53 false calls during the year. As many as 322 fire tenders and Quick Response Vehicles were deployed with the support of 2,157 personnel. Timely and coordinated operations helped save property worth approximately Rs 5,000 crore, while losses were restricted to around Rs 300 crore.
A major achievement of the year was a reduction of 1,994 fire incidents compared to 2024, reflecting an approximate 25 percent decline from 8,033 incidents reported in the previous year. Officials attributed the improvement to sustained fire prevention initiatives, better preparedness, and increased public awareness.
Public outreach remained central to the department’s strategy under the leadership of Director Fire and Emergency Services, Alok Kumar. The ongoing fire safety awareness campaign, launched in August 2022, continued across educational institutions, hospitals, nursing homes, government offices, and commercial establishments. The initiative promotes the concept of “Har Ghar Firefighter”, encouraging households to have at least one trained individual capable of responding during the initial stages of a fire.
Up to December 2025, a total of 9,887 awareness programmes were conducted, reaching more than 10.3 lakh participants, including students, healthcare workers, staff, and members of the general public. The sessions focused on fire prevention, life safety, safe use of electrical appliances, and appropriate initial response during emergencies.
Considering heightened fire risks during severe weather, additional preventive measures were undertaken by deploying fire tenders, QRVs, and fire pumps at vulnerable locations. In far-flung areas, local volunteers and public representatives were trained in basic firefighting techniques to strengthen community-level preparedness.
Institutional safety compliance also remained a focus, with 3,728 fire safety audits conducted in hospitals, hotels, educational institutions, government buildings, and commercial establishments, followed by safety recommendations.
The department played a key role during recent flood situations in Anantnag and Srinagar, carrying out rescue and dewatering operations at over 60 locations. Fire services were also mobilized during Operation Sindoor in Poonch, Uri, Sopore, and Kupwara districts. Comprehensive fire safety arrangements were made for the Shri Amarnathji Yatra 2025, with over 30 temporary fire stations established along the Baltal and Pahalgam routes.
To strengthen professional capacity, a new Fire Training Centre was established at Bari Brahmana, where two batches completed the Basic Firemanship Course and six batches underwent refresher training during the year.
Officials said the achievements of 2025 reflect a balanced approach combining operational readiness, prevention, and public participation, reaffirming the department’s commitment to safeguarding lives and property across Jammu and Kashmir.
[KNT]
