Noida: The Noida administration has invited applications to set up its first civil defence unit, calling on residents to volunteer for unpaid roles under the civil defence corps. Additional district magistrate (judicial) and deputy controller of civil defence, Priyanka, said the drive aims to create a pool of trained volunteers who can assist police during festivals, fairs, natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes, and other public welfare campaigns.The move comes months after civil defence units across the country held nationwide drills in May 2025. Noida was among the few districts that did not officially participate as it does not have a unit. Despite this, mock drills were still conducted in GB Nagar on state govt directives. The district administration activated NCC and NSS units and involved factory staff to carry out evacuation drills, adapting the directive to suit its existing preparedness systems.According to officials, the lack of a civil defence unit in the district was due to the fact that GB Nagar is a relatively new district, particularly in comparison to neighbouring Ghaziabad, which has an established civil defence setup. “The objective is to create a trained volunteer force that can actively support the administration during emergencies as well as public events and welfare activities,” the ADM said.Interested residents can get obtain and submit their application forms offline at room no 16 at the Collectorate office in Surajpur, Greater Noida. The recruitment will be carried out under the provisions of the Civil Defence Act, 1968, along with its regulations and rules. “Both men and women can apply, provided they meet the eligibility conditionsprescribed under the Act,” the ADM said.As per the eligibility norms, applicants must be Indian citizens between 18 and 60 years of age. Applicants need to have at least a high school education and be physically and mentally fit. Applicants should not have any criminal case registered against them and must not be active members of any political party. They should also be respected members of their local communities, the official said.She clarified that all positions are strictly voluntary and unpaid. “After receiving the applications, police verification and medical examinations will be conducted. Only those found fit in both processes will be appointed,” she said.Selected volunteers may be assigned to various roles within the civil defence structure, including chief warden, deputy chief warden, divisional warden, post warden, sector warden, incident control officer, messenger, and other reserve and support positions.“Appointments to these positions will be made by the district magistrate, who is the controller of civil defence for the district,” the ADM said.
