Pune: The PCMC fire brigade is planning to expand its fleet with the induction of 22 quick-response vehicles, officials said on Monday. These will include 70m and 90m aerial platforms and are part of a major upgrade aimed at improving firefighting and rescue operations in high-rise buildings.The brigade currently comprises 51 vehicles, including 18 fire tenders.Deputy municipal commissioner and fire brigade chief Vyankatesh Durvas said the civic body currently has a 54m aerial ladder platform, which can reach around 17 floors directly and support firefighting at greater heights depending on the building and access.“Considering the 25-30-storey buildings coming up in the city and rising population, we are proposing the 70m and 90m platforms. One vehicle of each height will be procured,” Durvas said.The department will also procure 32m and 55m TTL (Turn Table Ladder) fire vehicles equipped with lifts. “The lift allows us to carry out faster rescue operations when people are stranded in upper floors,” he said.The fleet will also get a fire education van and compact 2,500 litre fire tenders for narrow lanes and congested gaothan areas.PCMC (Pimpri Chinchwad municipal corporation) has earmarked Rs60 crore in the current annual budget for vehicle purchases. The tender process, delayed due to the model code of conduct imposed for legislative council elections, is expected to begin in Nov. Specialised vehicles may take about a year to arrive as they are manufactured in Europe, Durvas said.The plans come in the backdrop of a Sept 18 fire at Ganeshm Phase 2 society in Pimple Saudagar, in which two girls were stranded in their flat after an alleged refrigerator compressor blast. BJP city president and local corporator Shatrughna Kate thereafter wrote to the municipal commissioner, urging the civic administration to procure 50m & 90m hydraulic ladders, conduct safety audits of firefighting equipment, and publish fire-audit reports of housing societies.
