A new fire tender with special features has been procured for the Golden Rock Railway Workshop here for use in fire fighting operations inside the sprawling establishment and at the railway colony area nearby during emergency situation.
Sanctioned by the Railway Board under the Machinery and Plant Programme in 2018-19, the new vehicle which arrived at the workshop recently and is to be commissioned shortly is a replacement for the older one which had completed its codal life. Costing ₹55.45 lakh, the fire tender supplied by M/s Ambala Coach Builders, Ambala, has the capacity to hold 7,000 litres of water in the tank. The foam tank capacity of the vehicle is 500 litres.
Foam monitor on the roof locker, inter cooler for continuous running of engine, provision of supplementary extinguishers and 10.5 metre aluminium extension ladder gallows were the other special features of the new vehicle, said workshop authorities.
The operation of the vehicle would be done by an outsourced agency and the major maintenance by the railway workshop. A team of four personnel would be present for every shift for its operation during emergency situation when fire breaks out, said the authorities.
The vehicle would also be engaged for fire fighting operation in the Ponmalai Railway Colony near the workshop and at the Divisional Railway Hospital close by besides at other locations when required. Necessary trial and training of the operators were under progress and the fire tender would be put into active operation shortly, a senior workshop official said.
