27. Powers of Director or Fire Officer on occasion [or any emergency situation].- (1) On the occasion [of fire or any emergency situation ] in any area, the Director or the Chief Fire Officer or any other Fire Officer who is incharge of fire fighting operations on the spot may,-
(a) remove, or order any other fire officer or fire personnel to remove, any person who by his presence, interferes with or impedes the operations [for extinguishing the fire or responding to any emergency situation for saving life or property ];
(b) close any street or passage in or near which fire is burning [or any emergency situation has arisen ];
(c) break into or through, or pull down, any premises, for the passage of hose or appliances or cause them to be broken into or through or pulled down, doing as little damage as possible for the purpose of extinguishing fire [or dealing with any emergency situation ]:
Provided that, the owner or occupier, as the case may be, of any such premises shall be granted reasonable compensation to the extent of the damage so caused in such manner as may be prescribed;
(d) require the authority incharge of water supply in the area, to regulate the water mains so as to provide water at a specified pressure at the place where the fire has broken out and utilize the water of any stream, cistern, well or tank or of any available source of water, public or private, for the purpose of extinguishing or limiting the spread of such fire;
(e) exercise, in the absence of aid from the police, the same powers for dispersing an assembly of persons likely to obstruct the fire-fighting [or handling of any emergency situation ] operations as if he were an officer-in-charge of a police station and as if such an assembly were an unlawful assembly and be entitled to the same immunities and protection as such officer, in respect of the exercise of such powers;
(f) generally take such measures as may appear necessary [extinguishing the fire or dealing with any emergency situation for the protection of life or property ].
[(2) Any damage done to any premises or property, on the occasion of fire or any emergency situation, by members of the Fire and Emergency Services in the due discharge of their duties shall be deemed to be damage by fire or any emergency situation within the meaning of any policy of insurance against fire or insurance for any emergency situation.]
[Explanation.- For the purpose of this section, the expression emergency situation means any manmade or natural disaster or any eventuality where the life or property is at risk.]