Odisha to Appoint Third-Party Agency for Fire Safety Certification of High-Rise Buildings

Bhubaneswar: In a bid to strengthen fire safety measures across the state, the Odisha Government will soon appoint a third-party agency to conduct fire safety assessments and issue certification for multi-storeyed buildings and other infrastructure. The decision was announced by Sudhanshu Sarangi, Director General, Fire Services, on Saturday.

The appointed agency will be tasked with inspecting high-rise structures, shopping malls, and hospitals to verify their compliance with existing fire safety norms. Based on their assessment, the agency will issue fire safety certificates to qualifying establishments.

“In cases where prior approvals have already been granted by government authorities, the agency will re-examine the structures before issuing the final certification,” clarified Sarangi.

He added that the agency will provide updates to the Fire Services Department every six months on the fire safety status of the buildings under its purview.

Notably, buildings constructed before 2017 will also come under the scope of inspection. After the agency completes its evaluations, the Fire Services Department will conduct a follow-up review to ensure these older structures meet present-day fire safety standards.

The move is part of the state’s broader effort to enhance public safety and ensure stricter enforcement of fire safety regulations across Odisha.