Chennai: Tallest fire rescue ladders hit roadblock
In September TNFRS procured 2 skylifts for Rs 39 crore each.
Chennai: The much-hyped acquisition by Tamil Nadu fire and rescue service from Finland of two tall fire tenders, which can operate at a height up to 104 metres, has hit a road block with the regional transport office flagging it down.
The RTO says the vehicles' chassis and other dimensions are not matching the prescribed norms for vehicles plying on the road. Confirming the objections by RTO, a fire and rescue service official said there are some issues which are being sorted out. “We have written to the transport commissioner highlighting the issue. Hope it will get sorted out soon” said a fire service official.
The department took delivery of two of the tallest aerial rescue ladders in September. The first rescue service had joined a select club of metropolises to acquire such equipment in the world having 104 m HLA (high level articulated). As the transport officials had raised objections, the fire tenders are yet to get their vehicle registration numbers.
“We believe that it will be only a technical issue on documentation. We are taking it up with higher official in the transport department,” the fire official added.
Bronto Skylift, which makes the world's tallest aerial 112 m ladders, delivered the second tallest aerial ladder that it manufactures to Chennai. These truck-mounted ladders were purchased at a cost of Rs 39.74 crore each.
The ladders are mounted on Benz and Volvo trucks. “In the last three months we have not come across any emergency situation at such a height. But we would like to keep it ready and that is why we wrote to the transport commissioner,” the official added.
The technical specification of the ladder says that it can reach a maximum rescue height of 104 m, while the maximum working outreach will be 30 m and the platform's safe working load is 500 kg. It can pump as much as 3,800 litres per minute and requires 4 m height clearance on the road while on the move.
The fire and rescue services already operates five Skylifts of different heights and the two new ones, once cleared by transport department, will be deployed in Chennai.