E-Paper
Ludhiana MC plans to give major boost to firefighting infra
A Delhi-based company demonstrated one such machine at the MC’s Zone-D office on Wednesday in the presence of mayor Balkar Sandhu, senior deputy mayor Sham Sundar Malhotra, councillor Mamta Ashu, along with other MC and fire brigade officials.
The municipal corporation (MC) is planning to purchase a hydraulic turntable ladder (TTL) for firefighting operations in high-rise buildings.
A Delhi-based company demonstrated one such machine at the MC’s Zone-D office on Wednesday in the presence of mayor Balkar Sandhu, senior deputy mayor Sham Sundar Malhotra, councillor Mamta Ashu, along with other MC and fire brigade officials.
As per officials, the height of the TTL is 22 metres and it is a multi-purpose vehicle with a water tank.
Rescue tools will also be available in the vehicle.
MC superintending engineer Rajinder Singh said the reach of the ladder will be up to the fifth or sixth floor of the building and firefighters will be able to douse the flames without entering the building.
This will reduce the risk of casualty in such operations. The TTL platform can rotate at 360 degrees.
During the demonstration, deputy mayor Malhotra raised concerns over how efficient such a vehicle would prove in the narrow streets of the old city areas. To this, officials stated that the vehicle can enter streets with 10-ft width.
A firefighter, requesting anonymity, said that a proposal to purchase a hydraulic ladder for the fire brigade was made long back and it was also approved in 2008, but till now no action was taken. “Tall claims are made whenever some tragic incident is reported but nothing concrete is done,” the firefighter said.
Mayor Balkar Sandhu said the company has given its trial but MC will also check the working of machines in the field.
A hydraulic ladder is need of the hour as a large number of high-rise buildings have been established in the past. Different projects have been planned to upgrade the fire brigade under the Smart City Mission. Recently, life detectors and four mini fire tenders were purchased by the MC.
