With residential and commercial spaces in the twin-city reaching new heights, the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) has finally added its tallest hydraulic aerial ladder platform (HALP) to the arsenal of the fire and emergency service wing.
To ensure their firemen are adequately prepared and to boost the fire and emergency department's capability to combat fire and carry out rescue operations, particularly in high-rises, the civic administration has purchased a state-of-the-art fire engine with a 90-metre hydraulic ladder which will be commissioned on 16, May. The hydraulic platform can scale up to 32 floors and help firefighters to conduct firefighting and rescue operations.
Earlier, MBMC’s fire brigade and emergency services wing’s tallest ladder was limited to 67 meters and could reach up to 67 metres (24 floors). The MBMC has become the third civic body after Mumbai and Thane to procure the tallest HALP.
“The multi-faceted equipment has a host of specified features and its entry into our existing fire-fighting fleet would add extra power to our strength in battling high-rise emergencies,” said chief fire officer Prakash Borade. Bought at a cost of Rs. 22 crore, the firefighting unit has been procured from a reputed Finland-based manufacturing company which is a global supplier of truck-mounted aerial platforms.
The microprocessor-based electro-hydraulically controlled system permits precise and easy operations under the most difficult conditions, with ample reserve strength, elevated water pumps and stability to withstand the huge pressure of wind at dizzying heights.
The company has trained a batch of 20 firefighting personnel on how to handle, operate and maintain the HALP. As of now, the MBMC has eight fire stations. However, going by the burgeoning population and the vast area, it is likely to increase to 14 in the near future.
