A multi-utility vehicle fitted with water and foam tanks is the latest addition to the fleet of the Fire and Rescue Services Department in the city. Tiruchi is one among the five regions in the State to have been provided with the vehicle to attend to fire calls immediately.
Similar vehicles have been given to Chennai, Madurai, Vellore and Coimbatore regions. Smaller than the size of a usual fire tender, the vehicle can pass through even narrow lanes to reach the spot, say department officials. The new vehicle has been stationed at Tiruchi Fire Station which already has an emergency rescue tender, a skylift to put out fire in high-rise building, and a rapid response motorcycle equipped with an extinguisher.
The vehicle is equipped with a 600-litre water tank and a 100-litre foam tank, both of which could be detached and once again installed on the vehicle’s rear side. Fire fighters have a dual option to spray water or water mist to douse the flames. The vehicle is equipped with two fixed 25-metre hose reel to spray water. Using a portable generator set on the rear side, water or mist could be sprayed to put out fire.
Mist is to douse electrical-related fires as it is electrically non-conducive, while foam is meant for putting out oil fires, say the officials. The vehicle could be ideally used for putting out fire in an automated teller machine and in generator sets. Encompassing eight fire stations at Tiruchi, Srirangam Navalpat, Lalgudi, Pullambadi, Manapparai, Thuvarankurichi, and Uppiliapuram, the Tiruchi Fire and Rescue Services Division received a total number of 1,142 fire calls in 2012 of which 1,095 were “small fire”.
The estimated worth of property loss due to fire accidents last year was over Rs. 65 lakh. In the current year up to March, the division had received 253 fire calls of which 245 were categorised as “small fire”.
