Chief Minister Pramod Sawant flagged off modern mid-sized water tenders of the Goa State Fire Force on Friday. Captured by : Narayan Pissurlenkar
PANAJI
The Directorate of Fire & Emergency Services (DFES) has announced extending the validity of Fire No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) for buildings from one year to five years, and full digitisation of all related services.
Addressing a press conference at the DFES headquarters on Friday, Director Nitin Raiker said building owners will now be required to submit an annual self-declaration confirming adherence to fire safety norms. The department retains the right to conduct inspections and revoke the NOC if violations are detected. All applications, renewals and compliance procedures have now been shifted to an online system.
“The revised validity period applies to both low-risk and high-risk buildings. Owners and occupiers will now be required to submit an annual self-declaration confirming maintenance of all fire protection systems," Raiker said.
"Renewal of NOCs after five years will be based on an inspection to verify that systems are in working condition. The designated officer may conduct inspections at any time and revoke the NOC if deficiencies are found,” Raiker said, informing the media about this first notification.
In addition, the government has issued new guidelines for licensing and regulation of agencies involved in third-party fire safety audits, installation of fire protection systems, and certification of fire safety compliance. Only agencies licensed by the Directorate will be permitted to carry out such activities.
The second notification is about licensing and regulation of the fire safety agencies, with the Director informing that the entire process of application, approval, monitoring, and renewal of licences will be conducted online through the State Single Window System.
“Only agencies licensed by the DFES will be permitted to carry out these activities... Licensing will be restricted to qualified agencies and professionals meeting all technical, financial and statutory requirements. A publicly accessible dashboard of licensed agencies will be maintained, and random quality inspections will be carried out to ensure compliance,” he said.
The Directorate further informed that all public services, including NOC applications, renewals, and agency licensing, are now fully online. Citizens are not required to visit fire stations for these purposes and may contact designated Public Redressal Officers through official email or mobile for assistance or grievance redressal.
