Special fire vehicle on way to fight chemical blazes
MUMBAI: The city’s first specialised fire vehicle is on its way from Slovenia. The Hazardous Material (Hazmat) vehicle acts as an emergency response for disasters involving radioactive, biohazardous, toxic, explosive, or corrosive materials. It will help the firefighting personnel during chemical fires or minor accidents involving radioactive materials.
This is the first-of-its-kind vehicle to be added to the fire brigade’s fleet. The vehicle has cost the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) ₹8 crore, which includes the cost of purchase, training and maintenance of the vehicle.
P Rahangdale, chief fire officer, Mumbai fire brigade, said, “The vehicle will reach the city by December. Two fire brigade officers have already been trained to handle the equipment.”
In January, all the fire brigade officers will undergo train- ing in how to handle the equipment, its purpose, and how to customise the use of the equipment, depending on the nature of the disaster response.
The vehicle is equipped with latest technology and has in inbuilt operating procedure to handle disasters, along with a communication centre, first aid, disaster response suits, and decontamination material. The fire brigade’s current apparatus is not fully equipped to handle chemical fires or nuclear accidents.