Fire dept boosts fleet with 75 new engines, 50 bikes

Kolkata: The State Fire and Emergency Services department is adding 75 more fire tenders to its fleet along with 50 new motorcycles fitted with fire fighting equipment.

Apart from buying new fire tenders, the Fire and Emergency Department has set up two new fire stations at Dubrajpur in Birbhum and Birpara in Alipurduar which will be inaugurated soon after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee gives her nod. “We are waiting for the Chief Minister’s nod to inaugurate the fire stations. This apart, several more fire stations are getting ready to be inaugurated. Also, two old fire stations, Kalighat and Tollygunge are going through a revamp. We expect that the renovation will be completed by March-April,” said State Fire and Emergency Services minister Sujit Bose.

Bose further informed that the 75 new fire tenders which have been bought will join the fleet close to the start of the festive season. Sources informed that among the 75 new tenders, there will be small fire trucks of different specifications, including 25 water bowsers.

Apart from the newly bought fire tenders, the Fire and Emergency Services department is bringing a 78-meter ladder which will be useful in case any fire breaks out in any highrise building.

At present the highest ladder that the department owns is about 65 meters. There is only one such ladder present while about three ladders measuring about 55 meters are being used.

Meanwhile, the department will give a trial of the SIM-based walkie-talkie during the Puja days at 20 places.

One such advanced walkie-talkie will be there in each of these places. After the trial if these walkie-talkies are found to be useful for the Fire and Emergency Services department, then several such devices are likely to be bought after following the process as per the norms.