NEW DELHI, Jan. 6 -- The Delhi Fire Services (DFS) faces a severe manpower crunch, with critical vacancies in supervisory and frontline roles causing staff overload and compromising fire safety across the capital, according to DFS data. Data shows the agency currently has only 18 assistant divisional officers (ADOs) against a sanctioned strength of 24. These officers are tasked with conducting fire safety inspections and compliance checks at over 5,000 establishments - including restaurants, clubs, hotels, hospitals and commercial complexes - across Delhi. An ADO, requesting anonymity, said: "We review at least three to four establishments almost daily. Each inspection takes about two-three hours. At times, the ADOs are also tasked with handling court visits for Right to Information (RTI) cases." The situation is far more grim at the level of station officers, who serve as first responders and supervise on-ground operations during fire incidents. Against a sanctioned strength of 90, DFS currently has only 25 station officers, leaving 65 key positions vacant, officials said. "We try to ensure the shortage doesn't impact response time, but sometimes it does. The shortage also affects command and control during emergencies and the department's ability to handle multiple incidents simultaneously," said a station officer posted in western part of city. This staff crunch has come under renewed scrutiny following a tragic fire in Goa in December 2025, prompting DFS to conduct special inspection drives across Delhi. Teams reviewed over 90 restaurants and clubs to assess compliance with fire safety norms. Officials involved said several establishments were found lacking basic safety measures, such as functional fire-fighting equipment, clear exit routes and proper evacuation plans. However, sustained monitoring and enforcement remain a challenge due to limited manpower. "We could carry out more surprise inspections if we had more officers. Twenty-five assistant divisional officers are not enough," another ADO said. Fire safety experts said the manpower gap is worrying for a densely-populated city like Delhi, where regular inspections are a necessity. AK Bhatnagar, who retired as a divisional officer in 2009, said: "Delhi is growing by the day... More hospitals and commercial complexes are coming up. Most of them have elevators and staircases, making them liable to obtain a no objection certification (NOC) from the fire department. However, the number of officers who carry out inspections has remained the same for quite some time now. Timely hiring and promotions are the need of the hour." Deputy chief fire officer AK Malik did not respond to HT's queries....