Civic body finalises sites for 17 mini fire stations
Currently, the fire brigade has 33 fire stations in Mumbai.
Mumbai: After initially struggling to find space, the Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) has finalised sites for 17 mini fire stations in the city. These stations will be set up mostly in congested places — seven in western suburbs and five each in the island city and eastern suburbs.
After the Kalbadevi fire on May 9, 2015, the BMC’s fact-finding committee had proposed to set up mini fire stations across the city to provide immediate help to congested areas in case of a calamity.
It had also emphasised the need of mini fire tenders, which can easily reach congested places such as slums, chawls and narrow roads during fire incidents.
According to fire officials, around 42 percent people of Mumbai stay in slums. The hutments in slums are mostly made up of inflammable objects like bamboo, mats, plastic, etc.
In case of fire, it is difficult for fire engines to navigate through slums due to narrow and congested lanes.
“During the emergency, the response time to reach the mishap site is very important. However, at times fire engines reach the place late due to traffic jams. Hence it is important to set up mini fire stations to minimise the response time,” said chief fire officer PS Rahangdale.
The MFB initially had struggled to find space for mini fire stations. While the big fire stations require a space of at least 2,500-5,000 sq mt, the mini ones do not require a huge amount of space.
While seven to ten firemen are deputed for a fire engine at regular fire stations, the mini fire stations will have around five fire-fighters, including a driver.
“We are in the process of procuring mini fire tenders and quick response multi-purpose vehicles for the mini fire stations. These vehicles will be stationed at these stations, for which we have also decided to procure compact offices. We will also recruit more firemen for these stations,” said a senior fire official.
Currently, the fire brigade has 33 fire stations in Mumbai, 15 in the island city, six in the eastern suburbs and 12 in the western suburbs.