KOCHI: The fire fighting capability of Kochi, home to several high-rises, has received a major shot in the arm, with the Fire and Rescue Services Department inducting a state-of-the-art water browser into its fleet.
The new machine, which began responding to calls from Saturday, is capable of carrying up to 11,500 litres of water and 700 litres of foam at a time, equivalent to the capacity of three normal fire tenders. Purchased at a cost of around ₹70 lakh, it will be stationed at the headquarters of the Ernakulam Fire Division at Gandhinagar here.
Giving details, Sidhakumar.V, Assistant Divisional Fire Officer, Ernakulam, said the browser would considerably improve the response time in case of fire accidents, besides enhancing the efficiency of operations.
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According to him, the equipment will help fire personnel save time as less number of tenders is required in case of major fire accidents. Similarly, not many ferries will be needed to carry water to douse flames. “The machine has a water pump, which can produce a spray of 4,000 litres per minute, thus stopping fire from spreading, in a matter of two to three minutes. The remote-controlled monitor enables pumping of water up to a distance of 40 metres and a height of 60 metres, saving firemen from heat radiation to a great extent,” the official explained.
The new emergency vehicle is also equipped with fire extinguishers, bolt cutters, and standby fire suction hoses.
The machine arrived a month after it received three mini-tenders with a capacity of 400 litres. Apart from hybrid vehicles, the department is slated to procure a new set of rescue gadgets such as scuba set, rubber dinghies, and outboard boats.
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Fire accidents in Ernakulam division have shown a rise, with the department receiving a total of 2,027 confirmed ‘fire calls’ in 2016 as against 1,658 in 2015.