In 2018, of the 1,165 calls made to fire stations, 682 were of fire incidents reported in the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) jurisdiction, which includes nodes from Ghansoli to CBD Belapur. Of the 682 incidents, 260, the highest number, were reported at the Vashi Fire Station.
Apart from fire incidents, fire stations receive calls for rescues, emergencies and accidents. “ For any incident that requires saving a life or property, fire stations can be contacted. We do not take any call lightly and do our best to reach the spot immediately,” fire officer Arun Bhoir from Nerul Fire Station said.
From trees to leaks
These include cases of accidents where a person is stuck inside a vehicle or a heavy vehicle overturns. “We are also called to rescue birds and animals that are stuck and unable to move. Where there is a oil or chemical spillage, and vehicles tend to skid, we take those incidents as emergency. Gas leaks or rescuing a person attempting suicide in water bodies, are also considered an emergency. During monsoon, we also remove the trees that fall and block roads,” Mr. Bhoir said. Fire officers are also called for help when poisonous reptiles are spotted. “There are also domestic issues like LPG gas leaks or if a toddler locks himself in a room, we are called,” he said.
Every housing society is expected to renew their fire NOC twice in a year, while hospitals, hotels and pubs are supposed to renew it once a year. “A contractor with a government licence applies for renewal. He or she is hired by housing societies and is responsible for the fire equipment at the society,” he said.
Besides the staircase in residential areas, there is a red pipeline and hosepipes. The pipelines are attached to the water tanks. “In case of a fire, residents are expected to take care that the fire does not spread further till we reach, using their fire fighting system,” Jagdish Patil, fire officer from the NMMC said.
The NMMC has fire stations at Airoli, Vashi, Nerul and Belapur and one at Koparkhairane will be opening shortly. The NMMC also has a 68-metre-long Bronto skylift which can be used to douse fires in highrises. “We have proposed one more skylift, considering the increase of highrises in the city. The proposal is yet to be approved,” Mr. Patil said.
