Multi-tasking robots to help capital fight fires

nNEW DELHI: The Delhi Fire Service (DFS) has placed an order for two firefighting robots, which can help evacuate people, break open jammed doors and make way for firemen inside dark buildings besides spraying water and foam to put out fires, said Atul Garg, DFS director.

Senior officers said the German machines, which will be customised as per the DFS’ needs, will help them make firefighting operations safer and more efficient.

According to DFS data, in the 2018-2019 fiscal, as many as 31,264 incidents of fire were reported in Delhi in which 297 people lost their lives.

From April 2019 till date, 27,859 incidents of fire were reported in which 282 people have been killed so far, the data shows.

Garg said they have placed the order for the firefighting robot in the last week of December. He said, initially two such remote-controlled wireless robots will be delivered. “If the prototypes are found to be successful, we might order more,” he said. Each machine will cost the DFS ₹4 crore.

Explaining how it works, Garg said each robot will have flow adjustable inlet and outlet points. “We will be able to connect a water hose from one of our fire tenders to the inlet point and the robots can then be moved inside the affected building to spray water in most affected areas where it is difficult for our men to stand. Similarly, these machines will be capable of spraying firefighting foam in case of a chemical fire,” he said.

He said the operator will be able to control these robots from a distance of less than 300 metres and get a clear view of inside the building from highresolution cameras mounted in front of the robots.

“They will also have powerful flashlights to give a clear view as we often operate in poorly lit areas. We expect it will also help in showing the way out to the victims trapped inside a building. These diesel powered robots will also have a cable winch to pull off a locked door or a grill gate if people are trapped in a building,” he said.

Garg said the machines are expected to be delivered by Diwali this year.

“These will be custom-made. Since DFS deals with various emergency situations of building collapses, fire fighting and other challenging rescues, we wanted a machine that can be used in most of these calamities,” he said.

The robots, he said, will have caterpillar tracks so it can climb and operate on any kind of surface.

Garg said they are also buying one hydraulic lift along with the two robots.

DFS fights at least 30,000 fires a year, many of which claim lives. In January this year, the

DFS lost one of its newly recruited 27-year-old firefighters who was buried under the debris of a three-storey building that collapsed after a fire in Peeragarhi.

On December 8 last year, as many as 45 people were killed in a fire that broke out inside a factory in Anaj Mandi at Rani Jhansi Road following a shortcircuit. In February, a fire in a hotel in Karol Bagh claimed 17 lives, in August six people including one child died and 10 sustained injuries after a fire broke out in a multi storey building in Zakir Nagar. In July, three people were killed after a fire broke out in a rubber factory in Jhilmil industrial area.