Indore: High-tech Snorkel-fitted fire engine lies idle in the garage

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): The Fire Brigade Department—which is one of the most essential departments of any urban body—needs to be strong enough to deal with any sort of fire incident. However, the Indore Fire Services Department is the one which is facing a lack of staff, equipment and other facilities, besides facing deteriorating conditions, but is still putting in its best to serve the city.

The department owns a high-tech SCANIA bronto skylift-fitted fire engine which has been serving the department since 1993. Superintendent of police (Fire) RS Nigwal said, “The truck was bought in 1993 by the department at a cost of Rs1.5 crore. Now, the same truck costs around Rs 8 crore. We are in the process of issuing a maintenance tender to a Mumbai-based company for repairing the truck and taking care of it. The repairing cost could be around 32 lakh, whereas the maintenance cost would be Rs 1 lakh every year.”

SP Nigwal also initiated trials of the SCANIA last year in which testing of the crane and Snorkel (a type of hydraulically elevated platform for firefighting) was done. He also claimed that, if things go well and the amount is sanctioned, the truck can be used in fire incidents for the next 10 years.

“The fire engine has been used in fire rescue operations till 2007, but, after that, it has been standing in the department’s garage,” said the SP. He added that, so far, the fire engine has travelled only 6,671 km.

Sources in the fire department said on condition of anonymity that, for the past many years, no recruitment has been done in the department. Also, since the department went under IMC, the situation has been deteriorating. There are only around 200 employees in the entire department and the number of fire-fighters is also very small.

Demand for four new fire stations

SP Nigwal said that the fire department has also written to the higher authorities demanding sanction of four new fire stations to be opened in the city, especially on the outskirts. He said, ‘We’ve written to the departments concerned that the Indore fire department needs four more fire stations which are proposed in Tejaji Nagar, MR 10, Mangliya and Dhar Road. We expect that the plan will be sanctioned and we’ll get four new fire stations’

Features of the fire engine

§ Reaches up to 30 meters in height

§ Can rescue people from high-rises

§ 4 fire-fighters can reach top floor

§ International design & technology