Every fire officer shall for all purposes of this Act be deemed to be always on duty and any fire officer or any member or crew of fire officers allocated for duty in any part of Delhi may, if the Director so directs, at any time, be employed on turn out duty in any other part of Delhi for so long as the services of the fire officer or any member or crew of fire officers may be required in such other part of Delhi.
16. Extension of Fundamental Rules and Supplementary Rules to employees of Fire Service- The provisions of the Fundamental Rules and Supplementary Rules as amended by the Central Government from time to time , shall be extended mutatis mutandis to all employees of the Delhi Fire Service, including fire officers, operational members, members and subordinate operational staff.
17. Declaration of Fire Service to be an essential service to the community-
(1) Without prejudice to the provisions of any other law on the subject for the time being in force, the Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, declare the Fire Service to be an essential service to the community.
(2) A declaration made under sub-section (1) shall remain in force for six months in the first instance, but may be extended from time to time by a like notification.
(3) Upon a declaration being made under sub-section (1) and so long as it remains in force, it shall be the duty of every fire officer to obey an order given by any superior officer in relation to any employment in connection with the service specified in the declaration.
18. Penalty for violation of duty- Notwithstanding any action which may be taken under the provisions of this Act, any member of the fire service who –
(a) is found to be guilty of any violation of duty or willful breach of any provision of this Act or any rule or order made there under ;
or
(b) is found to be guilty of cowardice ; or
(c) withdraws or abstains from the duties of his office without permission or without having given previous notice for 15 days or more; or
(d) being absent on leave fails without reasonable cause to report himself for duty on expiration of such leave; or
(e) accepts any other employment or office or engages himself in business in contravention of the provision of the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964; shall be punishable with imprisonment which may extend to 3 months, or with fine which may extend to an amount not exceeding three months’ pay of such member, or with both.