Mumbai fire brigade to get 20 new bikes, 15 mini fire stations

While the city will get 15 more fire stations by the end of the year, the department plans to get 20 new bikes by April 2018.

The Mumbai fire brigade is all set to get better and faster.

The mini fire stations will have one quick response vehicle that will be manned by a driver, officer and two firemen and can store 500 litres of water (FILE)

While the city will get 15 more fire stations by the end of the year, the department plans to get 20 new bikes by April 2018. The fire brigade recently inaugurated two mini fire stations at Film City in Goregaon and the Maharashtra Fire Services headquarters at Kalina.

The aim is to reduce the travel time taken to reach the spot. The mini fire stations will have one quick response vehicle that will be manned by a driver, officer and two firemen and can store 500 litres of water. The vehicles, which will cost around Rs1.8 crore each, will be equipped with a special water-mist technology, and can easily reach congested pockets owing to their small size. Each station will be built at a cost of Rs25 lakh.

IA Kundan, additional municipal commissioner, in charge of the fire brigade, said, “The development plan has earmarked 17 spots on municipal plots for these stations. We have asked the wards to set up the stations in the next two months.”

A committee set up after the Kalbadevi fire, which killed four senior fire officials, had recommended setting up mini fire stations.

Meanwhile, the bike will cost Rs10 lakh each. The specialised bikes, which can store 50 litres of water and will be manned by two firefighters, will be kept at the mini-fire stations, officials said. “The bikes can reach be the first help to reach the spot,” said a senior official.