Mohali, Oct. 29 -- Seventy-seven (54.6%) of the 141 sanctioned posts of fire officials are lying vacant in Mohali, which has been witnessing rapid urban infrastructure growth. Owing to the presence of over 100-metre-high buildings in Mohali, Zirakpur and New Chandigarh, officials have also highlighted the need for specialised 90-metre and 104-metre firefighting platforms to strengthen their ability to tackle emergencies.

The data provided by officials revealed vacancies across several operational and supervisory positions. Against 80 sanctioned firefighter posts, only six permanent employees are there, alongside 32 outsourced or contractual firemen, leaving 42 vacancies.

Of the 24 driver posts, two are filled by permanent employees and ...