Patna: Bihar fire services will deploy 450 personnel and fire tenders at 48 identified sensitive locations across the city. The department has planned a nine-zone emergency response system, aimed at ensuring that fire crews reach an incident site within two to five minutes of receiving information.The deployment will begin on Friday afternoon, with all nine fire stations in the city assigned responsibility for separate zones. Personnel will remain on alert in their respective areas, while holidays for all fire department employees have been cancelled for the festival period.District Fire Officer Abhishek Kumar said among the 48 locations identified for deployment are Dak Bungalow crossing, Income Tax Golambar, Patliputra Golambar, Digha Haat, Dinkar Golambar, Gaighat, Kachchi Dargah, Danapur, Patna City and Ashok Rajpath.A fire tender and a team of personnel will be stationed at each designated point so that the nearest unit can be dispatched immediately when an emergency call is received.Slum settlements and Patna City have been classified as particularly vulnerable because of dense populations, narrow lanes and closely packed houses.Scrap shops, cotton warehouses and timber shops have also been identified as high-risk locations because of the large quantities of inflammable material stored there. Fire crews have been directed to maintain additional vigilance around such establishments.According to the department, firecracker-related incidents remain one of the biggest risks during Diwali.To strengthen emergency coordination, the main control room at Lodipur and control rooms at all nine fire stations will remain operational. Any fire alert will be immediately communicated to the team responsible for the zone concerned. Reserve teams will also be deployed if an incident is large or requires additional resources.Senior fire officials will regularly visit different parts of the city to inspect deployment arrangements and address any gaps. Google Maps-based tracking will also be used to monitor the location and movement of fire tenders, helping officials identify and dispatch the nearest available vehicle during an emergency.The department said rapid response during the first few minutes of a fire is crucial to preventing its spread and minimising loss of life and property.