Mumbai Fire Brigade Inducts 12 Firefighting Bikes Into Its Fleet

The Mumbai Fire Brigade has recently inducted 12 firefighting motorcycles into its fleet. This is the first lot of the 24 firefighting bikes that have been ordered by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and they will be used as first responders. The motorcycles have been specially customised for the fire department and will be used to douse fires in slums and congested areas, places where a conventional fire truck won't be able to go. This is the first time that the force will get firefighting motorcycles. The remaining 12 bikes are expected to arrive by the end of April 2022.

The proposal to induct fire-fighting motorcycles into Mumbai Fire Brigade was first announced in early 2022, however, it was delayed due to the pandemic. It was again proposed in 2021, and in October last year, the civic standing committee approved an Rs. 3 crore proposal to purchase firefighting bikes. The 24 units will be deployed at the first stations of all civic wards of Mumbai.

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While the details about the firefighting bikes are yet to be officially announced, the motorcycles are from Royal Enfield, and judging by the photos they appear to be customised versions of the Bullet. These special bikes come with a water tank, fire extinguisher, siren, wireless communication gear and hose drill attached. The fire bikes have a 30-litre tank capacity and can shoot out water through a high-pressure pump at eight litres per minute.

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Currently, in Mumbai, the response time to fight a fire, during peak traffic hours is around 20-25 minutes, the department wants to bring it down

Speaking with Time of India, a senior fire official said, "The response time for blazes especially during peak hours touches 20-25 minutes, especially in suburbs while in the city area it is around 15 minutes. Therefore, these bikes could reach the site first, navigating quickly through traffic if any. It will take some time before we actually begin their use on the ground as the essential formalities like RTO registration and training to our fire officers who would be required,"

Currently, in Mumbai, the response time to fight a fire, during peak traffic hours is around 20-25 minutes. However, the government mandate says that it should be around 6.5 minutes. And the fire brigade hopes that these firefighting bikes will help them improve their response time. The bikes are expected to be put on public display during the upcoming Fire Safety week, which will be observed on April 14, 2022.

Source: TOI