Mumbai to get Fire bikes soon

A fire bike can carry about 40 litres of water, a pump and two firemen

After almost two years of the fire brigade starting the procedure to buy fire bikes, which will be useful for the city's narrow lanes, they are finally on their way. The tender process is completed and the proposal will be sent to the standing committee within a fortnight.

Mumbai has ample fire engines and a 90-metre hydraulic ladder for high-rises, but the fire brigade was keen to have mini fire stations and small fire engines to quickly act upon blazes in narrow lanes and congested areas. The move came after a fire broke out in a medical store in Andheri West, where nine people were killed on June 30, 2016. Narrow lanes, traffic jams and vehicles parked on both sides of the roads, are issues that plague the city. The incident emphasised the need for mini vehicles that could negotiate through the congested areas and prompted preliminary action. But the plan to acquire fire bikes has been delayed by almost two years for various reasons.

A fire bike can carry about 40 litres of water, a pump and two firemen. While the quantity of water may seem inadequate, it can act as the first-line of defence. The pump attached to the fire bike can spray about eight litres of water in a minute. Even if water is not available at the site of a fire, it can work for five minutes.

"The bike will reach at least five to six minutes earlier and start the fire extinguishing operation. Though it has a small tank, it can be quickly filled up even with a bucket or a water pipe. It will act as a primary measure, till a big fire engine arrives," said Rajendra Chaudhari, deputy chief fire officer. According to fire officials, more than 80 per cent of fires start due to electric short circuits. The seemingly minor incident may spread and turn into a blaze till the firefighting equipment is brought to the spot.

Choudhari added that the tender process has been completed. There will be 24 bikes for 24 wards in the city, one for each ward. The proposal will be sent to the standing committee within two weeks. Once the proposal is approved and the work order given, the bikes will arrive within three months. The BMC floated tenders in March 2020, before the lockdown. But they didn't have permission from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH) as it is a new type of vehicle. The lockdown stalled all the procedures of permission. The corporation floated the tenders again in December 2020. The procedure to finalise the contractor took another nine months and now the MFB is preparing a proposal to table it in the standing committee for a discussion.