Priya Ravichandran

Priya Ravichandran is a Deputy Director with Tamil Nadu fire and rescue services. She was one of the first female fire officers and indeed the first female officerin the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. She is the first woman fire fighter to be appointed in a Government Service.She has been an inspiration for women across the country for selfless service and bravery .

Priya hails from Salem - a small town in the State of Tamil Nadu .Her father Nalliyappanis a successful Chartered Accountant and businessman who has been inspiring her to get into the Public Service. She says "My father always used to talk about the authority and opportunity that a Public servant is bestowed with for selfless service .He gave me all the opportunities to become one . There was no Gender discrimination at home ". Since thenshe had nurtured her dreams of becoming a Public servant .She completed her schooling in Cluny Matriculation School and St Josephs Girls Higher Secondary school atSalem .She obtained her bachelor's degree in corporate secretariatship at Ethiraj College for Women, Chennai. She completed her Masters and M. Phil in Sociology at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. She took up the Public Services Examination in the year 1999. She began her service for the country as the Batch (TNPSC Group-1) Divisional Officer, Fire and Rescue Service-2003 when she was 26 years old .She was then a mother of two months old baby and yet she underwent rigorous physical training . She completed her Divisional Officer course at National Fire Service College, Nagpur, with distinction and underwent training at the Fire Service College, Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire,England.

She is married to Ravichandran an IRS officer who is currently the Additional Director of International Taxation.She is the mother of two daughters .

Priya had served as Divisional Officer in various places .Prior to assuming office in Chennai she served the Coimbatore region. Her first posting was at Nagapattinam .she had also served as Divisional Officer of Coimbatore -Nilgris Districts.As a probationary Officer she won accolades from the Western Belt for her dedication at a rescue work in a building collapse at Coimbatore where the fire fighters under her supervision rescued the trapped victims . She then worked as the Deputy Director at the State Training Centre at Tambaram where she trained private and Government employees in fire fighting skills .Shehosted the prestigious Team commander for the Republic Day parade Contingent for two consecutive years - 2008 and 2009. She has been member of many government committees, including physical verificationof Women Station Officers recruited by the State public service Commission. She has been a board member for the interview of the selected candidates in TNPSC.

Priya was among eight representatives selected from various departments in Government of India and the only woman in the teamto visit Germany for studying industrial risk management.

In January 2012, on the day of theharvest festival for the Tamils the State Headquarters was alerted about a Fire in part of theheritage Government building - Ezhilagam . As Divisional Officer of Central Chennai she rushed to the spot . The city strength workforce, fire tenders was mobilised to tackle this fire . During the operation at the Kalas Mahal Heritage centre she was severely injured along with an Officer while one met his fatal end while attempting to rescue the victims.

She was admitted at the Appollo Hospitals and Chief Minister J.Jayalalitha visited her at the hospital and assured the support of the Government in her speedy recovery to her kith and kin . In recognition of her brave deed she was awarded the Anna Medal for Bravery - the first of its kind to a Government employee . She was also awarded the President Medal for gallantry .She is the first woman officer in the Department to be awarded with the President medal.

She also became the first Officer to be promoted and posted as Deputy Director Headquarters .Her come back to work with the same zeal and strength was seen with an overwhelming feeling of reverence by everyone. The media had given special mention of her comeback to the field when she supervised and was present at the spot of rescue operations during the building collapse at Moulivakkam, Chennai . She has become an icon of dedication, dynamic and courage for the fire fighters in the State .

• Anna Medal for Gallantry 2012 by the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for Bravery and selfless courage.
• President's Award for gallantry 2013 from Hon'Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
• Femina Penn Sakthi Award 2013
• Award for Selfless service in Search and Rescue Operation honoured by Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu 2014