Bangladesh Fire Service & Civil Defence

The Bangladesh Fire Service & Civil Defence (FSCD) is an emergency service that operates under the Security Services Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs in the People's Republic of Bangladesh. The department's primary objective is to provide critical public safety services, including fire suppression, emergency medical care, and other essential services.

Bangladesh Fire Service & Civil Defence

বাংলাদেশ ফায়ার সার্ভিস ও সিভিল ডিফেন্স
Operational area
Country	Bangladesh
Address	38-46, Kazi Alauddin Road, Fulbaria, Dhaka 1000[1]
Coordinates	23.7224°N 90.4062°E / 23.7224; 90.4062
Agency overview
Established	April 9, 1981; 44 years ago (1981-04-09)[2]
Annual calls	Total emergency responses in 2024:[3][4] Fire incidents: 26,659 Underwater rescue and recovery operations: 1,215 Animal rescue operations: 544 Ambulance patient transport calls: 11,820
Employees	14,570[5]
Annual budget	৳7,33,57,00,000[6](~$69,000,000, FY 2023–24)
Staffing	Career
Director General	Brigadier General Muhammad Jahed Kamal
Director (Operations and Maintenance)	Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury
Director (Training, Planning & Development)	Lieutenant Colonel M A Azad Anwar
EMS level	BLS
Motto	"Speed, Service, Sacrifice"
Facilities and equipment
Divisions	8[7]
Stations	537[8]
Engines	593
Ladders	17
Rescues	36
Ambulances	195
Tenders	99
HAZMAT	6
Fireboats	7
Rescue boats	38
Light and air	6
Aerial Ladder Platforms	13
Website
https://fireservice.gov.bd/

Organisation

Firefighters at work in front of the Bangladesh Fire Service & Civil Defence Headquarters building

The Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) operates through multiple specialized departments, including Operations, Maintenance, Training, Planning and Development, Administration, and Finance. These departments work in coordination to ensure the effective delivery of emergency response services, fire prevention, disaster preparedness, and technical rescue operations across the country.

In addition to its professional personnel, the FSCD benefits from a robust network of civilian volunteers who support response efforts during disasters and emergencies. As part of its target to prepare 60,000 volunteers, 44,612 individuals had received training as of 2021.^[9] More broadly, over 678,000 people have been trained in firefighting and disaster management through 16,966 civilian training courses.

The FSCD is led by a Director General. As of 2021, the leadership hierarchy comprises 3 Directors, 14 Deputy Directors, 29 Assistant Directors, and 77 Deputy Assistant Directors.

Operation

Firefighters in action

The Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) undertakes a comprehensive range of emergency response and safety operations across the country. Its core responsibility is fire suppression, with teams trained to quickly respond to fires in urban areas, airports, seaports, and rural communities. Alongside firefighting, the BFSCD performs technical rescues and hazardous materials mitigation to effectively manage incidents involving dangerous substances and complex rescue scenarios.^[10]

Beyond emergency firefighting, the FSCD actively promotes fire prevention through systematic inspections of buildings and facilities to ensure compliance with safety regulations. It enforces hazardous materials safety protocols and provides fire protection management guidance to reduce risks. The department also conducts thorough investigations into the causes of fires to prevent future incidents.

Emergency medical services are integrated into FSCD’s operations, including first-aid education and training for personnel, as well as emergency telephone consultation services to offer immediate medical advice to the public during crises.

Disaster Response Initiatives

In May 2025, the FSCD enhanced its disaster readiness by forming a specialized earthquake response unit in Dhaka, consisting of 60 trained members equipped for rapid deployment during seismic emergencies. Additional 20-member teams are being organized in divisional cities, further strengthening nationwide preparedness. The department also plans to relocate its operational division to Mirpur, Dhaka to improve response coordination and efficiency.^[11]

Swift Water Rescue Training

In May 2025, 15 personnel from the Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence successfully completed a four-day Swift Water Rescue Training course in Cox's Bazar. Organized by the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka, the training aimed to equip participants with the skills necessary to rescue individuals during tidal surges, flash floods, and other water-related emergencies. Practical sessions were conducted at Inani Beach and other coastal locations in Cox’s Bazar, as well as in controlled environments such as swimming pools. This initiative is part of ongoing efforts to enhance Bangladesh’s disaster response capabilities, particularly in the context of increasingly frequent climate-induced emergencies.^[12]

Station

Bangladesh Fire Service & Civil Defence Headquarters

The department operates from 537 fire stations throughout the country.

• 9 (Special Category Stations)
• 95 (A category stations)
• 314 (B category stations)
• 8 (B category land and river stations)
• 100 (C category stations)
• 11 (River fire stations)

These stations serve as crucial response points in times of fire-related emergencies and enable the department to efficiently carry out its operations. As of 2016, a first-class fire station included 35 firemen, an ambulance, water tenders, water pumps, and about 200 volunteers.^[13]

Rank structure

• Director General
• Director
• Deputy Director / Principal
• Assistant Director / Vice Principal
• Deputy Assistant Director / Instructor / Senior Staff officer / PO cum Adjutant
• Senior Station Officer / Assistant Instructor / Officer in charge / Store Officer
• Warehouse Inspector
• Station Officer / Staff officer / Junior Instructor / Mobilizing Officer
• Sub Officer
• Leader
• Firefighter / Nursing attendant / Diver
• Driver

History

A CMP Ford F15 with No. 11 cab possibly the first unit of the service

The then British government created Fire Service in 1939–40 in undivided India. During the Partition, the Calcutta Fire Service was created for the city of Calcutta at the regional level and the Bengal Fire Service for undivided Bengal. In 1947, the fire service in the region was renamed the East Pakistan Fire Service.

During World War II, the Department of Civil Defence in India was initially created with Air Raid Precautions (ARP) at an early stage and the Department of Civil Defence at a later stage in 1951 through legal process. For the purpose of work management, a Rescue Department was created under the Roads and Highways Department.

On April 9, 1981, the then Fire Service Directorate and the Civil Defence Department merged to form the Department of Fire Service and Civil Defence. Later the Rescue Department was included in the Department of Fire Service & Civil Defence. The FSCD is currently 40 years old.

Fire Incidents and Statistics

The Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence responds to thousands of fire-related emergencies annually. The table below summarizes reported fire incidents from 2015 to 2024:

Year	Number of Fires
2024	26,659[14]
2023	27,624[15]
2022	24,102[16]
2021	21,601[17]
2020	21,073[18]
2019	24,074[19]
2018	19,642[20]
2017	18,105[21]
2016	16,858[22]
2015	17,488[23]

Equipment

Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence (BFSCD) Vehicles

Image	Vehicle	Type	Country of Origin
	Isuzu NPR fire tender	Fire Tender	Japan
	Isuzu Fire Fighting and Medium Rescue Truck	Fire Tender / Rescue	Japan
	SPV-SinoTruk 320 water tender	Water Tender	China
	Isuzu FTR Chemical Tender	Chemical Tender	Japan
	SPV-SinoTruk 220 foam tender	Foam Tender	China
	Magirus MultiStar 2	Aerial Platform (Telescopic Boom)	Germany Italy
	Morita-Scania P360	Turntable Ladder	Japan Sweden
	Kingstar Neptune L6 Ambulance	Ambulance	China
	Mitsubishi L200 pickup	Pickup Truck	Japan
	Foton Tunland pickup	Pickup Truck	China
	LUF 60[24][25][26]	Remote-controlled unmanned ground vehicle (UGV)	Austria
	Firefighting motorcycle[27]	Firefighting Motorcycle	China