Lieutenant Governor of the National Capital Territory of Delhi has amended the Delhi Fire Service Rules, 2010. The following changes have been made.

1. In Rule 2, definitions of “Fire Safety Auditor” and “Fire Safety Certificate” are inserted/substituted. “Fire Safety Auditor” is defined as a third party — a person, association of persons or company — as specified in the Seventh Schedule, duly empanelled with the Director of Delhi Fire Service. “Fire Safety Certificate” is redefined to include certificates issued either by the Fire Service or by a Fire Safety Auditor under these rules. References to “National Building Code 2005” and “IS 8758:1983” across Rules 2, 29, 33 are updated to “National Building Code of India” and “IS 8758” respectively. “Special area” is redefined to mean the special area as delineated in the Master Plan of Delhi.
2. Rules 3, 4 and 5 are substituted to restructure the territorial organisation of the Delhi Fire Service into five or more Fire Zones, thirteen or more Fire Divisions and thirty-nine or more Fire Sub-Divisions, with specified compositions for each zone, division and sub-division. Rule 8 is amended to replace ‘Master Plan Delhi 2021’ with ‘Master Plan of Delhi, as amended from time to time’.
3. Rules 20, 22, 25, 32, 38, 42 are amended to add “or through an online payment gateway” as an additional mode of payment alongside existing bank draft/pay order options.
4. Rule 24 is inserted to provide that the Director Fire Service may notify a date after which all payments shall be received exclusively through the online payment gateway.
5. Rule 26 is substituted to establish a ‘Fire Prevention Wing’ within the Fire Service Headquarters. The Wing shall be headed by an officer not below the rank of Deputy Chief Fire Officer and shall examine building plans and fire safety schemes certified by Level-2 and Level-3 Fire Safety Auditors referred by local or statutory authorities, and issue directives for compliance.
6. Rule 27 is substituted to specify twelve categories of occupancies likely to cause a risk of fire, based on building type, height, number of floors and covered area, including pandals, residential, hotel, educational, institutional, assembly, business, mercantile, industrial, storage, hazardous buildings and underground structures.
7. Rules 34, 35, 36 and 37 are substituted to establish a third-party Fire Safety Auditor framework. Fire Safety Certificates shall be issued by empanelled Fire Safety Auditors from the portal of Delhi Fire Service. The certificate shall be deemed issued under the delegated authority of the Director and shall be subject to verification. Fire Safety Auditors shall possess qualifications and experience as specified in the Seventh Schedule, conduct thorough inspections, and submit Form ‘H’ (Certificate), Form ‘I’ (Declaration) and Form ‘J’ (Inspection Report) online along with a fee of ₹1,000. A minimum of five percent of certificates issued by Fire Safety Auditors per quarter shall be subject to random inspection by fire officers. No Fire Safety Auditor shall audit a building for which his firm has provided design, consultancy, installation or maintenance services. Fire Safety Auditors are deemed public servants under sub-section (28)(k)(i) of Section 2 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. Fire Safety Certificates shall remain valid subject to annual online submission of Form ‘K’. An Automated Continuous Monitoring System (ACMS) for fire prevention and safety shall be provided by owners or occupiers of specified occupancies as per the Seventh Schedule, in compliance with technical standards and cyber security protocols notified by the Director.
8. Rule 40 substitutes ‘any other officer’ with ‘any other fire officer’.
9. Rule 43 is substituted to revise compounding limits: Deputy Chief Fire Officer up to ₹10,000; Chief Fire Officer up to ₹50,000; Director for amounts exceeding ₹50,000.
10. Rule 47 is amended to revise reward limits: Director up to ₹1,00,000; Chief Fire Officer up to ₹75,000; Deputy Chief Fire Officer up to ₹50,000, with Government retaining power to grant rewards exceeding ₹1,00,000 on the recommendation of the Director. Form ‘B’ in the First Schedule is substituted.