Fire and Emergency Services Jammu and Kashmir
The Fire and Emergency Services
J&K was established in the year 1893 as Srinagar Fire Brigade. Some of the town areas were also having their fire brigades with few men. Earlier axes were used for hewing planks and rafters of burning buildings and buckets were used for throwing water. This was later replaced by steam engines which were made operational by burning firewood to heat up water and were taken to places on carts pulled by firemen. The equipment was later replaced by steam engines which were operated by burning fire wood to heat up water and were taken to places on carts. The department was initially having 05 Fire Stations and 60 Firemen and is the 3rd oldest Fire Brigade of the country after Mumbai (1803) and Kolkata (1822). It is presently 4th largest Fire Services of the country.
Some of the Fire Stations are located in areas where the temperature falls below 30 Deg C and the Services has the pride of having Fire Station established at the highest altitude of 11500 ft at Leh known as “Roof of the World”. The motto of the Services is “We serve to save”.
The department has been renamed as “Fire and Emergency Services, J&K” vide Govt. Order No.Home-196 (Fire) of 2004 dated 08.06.2004.