Mumbai’s firemen to soon get high-tech fire-resistant suits
Mumbai’s firemen who always put their lives in danger while fire-fighting will soon have some more protection in the form of hightech fire-resistant suits made of a special fabric.
A senior officer of the fire department has remarked that after repeated incidents of firemen getting injured during fire rescue operations a specially-made suit has been procured which will prove to be a safety cover for them.
The new uniform’s speciality is that it is made up of three different layers. While the first layer consists of flash over protection – it will protect fire fighters from hot flames, the second layer is made up of a moisture barrier which will control the temperature during the rescue operations and the third layer is a thermal barrier that will prevent the fire-fighters from getting burnt.
In Mumbai, the increasing number of high-rise buildings are making rescue operations more and more difficult. After the fire incident at Kalbadevi’s Gokul Nivas, which saw four firemen killed, a fact finding report was prepared by experts. The report recommended various measures for up-gradation and modernisation of Mumbai’s fire brigade. Hightech fire resistant suits was one of the recommendations.
The BMC’s fire department will be spending Rs 21 crore for the purchase of high-tech three layer suit. At present, the fire brigade has 1403 firemen, 225 leading firemen and 518 officers who work as drivers and operators. At present, the fire department has 17 quick response vehicles, six new fire engines, mini fire tenders, 81 metre height hydraulic platform purchased to reinforce and replace outdated fire engines. Also, the department is in the process of procuring a further eight new fire engines, hazmat vehicle (hazardous material apparatus vehicle), three foam tender and three control post vans.