Ten fire stations in Chennai will, in a week, get a custom-built motorcycle each for use during firefighting operations.
Designed for quick and easy access to accident spots, the motorcycles will be fitted with a portable water tender and foam tender.
Speaking to The Hindu after Martyrs Day events at the Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services headquarters here on Wednesday, its Director R. Nataraj said that the motorcycles were modified and fitted with firefighting equipment at the TNFRS workshop here.
Difficulty
On the need for such vehicles, he said that it was difficult for conventional fire tenders to reach accident spots quickly as the access roads were narrow, particularly in north Chennai localities and slums, and owing to traffic.
“The motorcycles fitted with portable water sprinklers and foam jets will be the first to reach the spot, ahead of the bigger tenders,” he said.
The fire stations in Saidapet and those in north Chennai would be among those who would be getting the customised motorcycle shortly. The Fire and Rescue Services plans to provide two such motorcycles each to all 287 fire stations in the State.
“The motorcycle brigade is totally our R & D initiative and will be retained alongside the proposed additions,” he said.
State-of-the-art vehicles
A government order sanctioning 50 state-of-the-art motorcycles for firefighting operations and small fire tenders is, however, awaited.
At the Martyrs' Day event, Mr. Nataraj presented medals to 25 firemen posthumously. Senior officials of the Fire and Rescue Services and the Police Department participated in the programme.
