New Delhi, May 29 -- The Delhi government has notified the Delhi Fire Service (Amendment) Rules, 2025, which allow third-party auditors to inspect buildings and issue fire safety clearances. Further, it also restructured fire zones and divisions in line with the Capital's restructured 13 districts. The Rules now allow building occupants to appoint a fire safety auditor from a list available on the Delhi Fire Service (DFS) portal for obtaining fire safety certification. The auditor will conduct inspections, issue certificates and upload inspection reports online, subject to random verification by the department. The rules mandate that at least 5% of certificates issued every quarter will be randomly inspected by DFS officers. Delhi home minister Ashish Sood said the amendment to the Delhi Fire Service Rules, 2010, was part of the government's deregulation measures. "Third-party audit has been made mandatory under the government's deregulation exercise and the exercise has now been taken away from the clutches of the fire department. It is a big relief for the people," Sood said. Under the earlier rules, fire safety certificates were issued directly by the fire service department, following inspection by DFS officials. The new rules have mandated an automated continuous monitoring system (ACMS) for firefighting systems, in terms of both active and passive measures, ensuring they are in optimal working condition, which was not mandated under the earlier rules. The previous rules mandated that the fire department conduct an inspection every three years for commercial buildings and five years for residential buildings, the new norms are changed. The changes mark a significant shift from the framework laid down under the 2010 rules, which vested the process of inspection and issuance of fire safety certificates directly with the DFS. Under the 2010 rules, the city was divided into three fire zones with six fire divisions and 18 subdivisions....