Mumbai fire brigade to get specialised vehicle to fight chemical fires

The vehicle, its equipment and staff training for five years will cost the BMC Rs 7.5 crore; it’s expected to arrive next year

The Mumbai fire brigade is all set to procure a new vehicle called the Hazmat fire truck, which will help fire-fighters battle blazes that involve chemicals and other hazardous substances. This is the first such specialised vehicle that the city fire brigade is acquiring, and will come from Slovenia.

The vehicle will cost the Brihamumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Rs 7.5 crore, which includes the cost of the vehicle equipment and training for five years.

Chief fire officer P. Rahangdale, of the Mumbai fire brigade said: “This vehicle has the latest technology to deal with chemical accidents. It will act as a first response vehicle as well as a first-aid vehicle.”

The fire brigade’s current apparatus is not fully equipped to handle chemical fires or nuclear accidents. The Hazmat truck comes with an inbuilt operating procedure for such accidents.

“Fires from chemicals or nuclear accidents are not like other fires. They are different , and the damage they can cause is far beyond the physical impact of the fire itself. For a city like Mumbai , a vehicle with equipment and first-aid for such accidents is essential,” said another official, who did not wish to be identified.

The fire brigade is expected to get the vehicle around June 2018.