Ahmedabad: Despite the recent appointments to six senior positions, including the Chief Fire Officer (CFO), in Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Services (AFES), nine of the top 19 posts remain vacant. With less than two weeks until Diwali, this staffing gap could add pressure during the festival period, known for a surge in fire-related incidents.

The appointments were finalized three days after the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) committee selected candidates on October 18. However, questions remain about when the new officers will assume their roles due to prior commitments, and the interim leadership of AFES during this crucial time is still unresolved. Deputy Municipal Commissioner Arjav Shah stated these issues should be resolved soon.

AMC issued four orders for the six posts, including CFO Amit Dongre and Additional CFO Mihir Rana through selection. Two long-serving AFES officers, Mithun Mistry and Jayesh Khadia, were promoted to newly created Additional CFO positions. Hiren Chaudhari and Dhrumit Gandhi were appointed as Deputy CFOs. However, multiple posts in the Fire Prevention Wing remain unfilled.

Although Dongre has been appointed as CFO, sources indicate he may not join before Diwali. In the meantime, Jayesh Khadia, who has served as acting CFO since February 2022, continues to manage the fire services.

While the three Additional CFO vacancies have been filled, five Deputy CFO posts remain vacant, even after the promotion of Mistry and Khadia and the appointment of Chaudhari and Gandhi. The number of Divisional Officer (DO) posts has been doubled from four to eight, but four remain vacant. Three DOs involved in civil litigation have had their services “terminated” by the AMC but continue to serve due to a stay order from the Gujarat High Court.

Last year, between November 10 and 14, AFES responded to 307 fire and rescue calls, with 136 incidents occurring on Diwali. The fire services’ coverage area also expanded significantly in 2020, making Ahmedabad the largest city in Gujarat. This expansion, combined with firecracker manufacturing units on the city’s outskirts, has added to AFES’s responsibilities.