Robots rather than remote monitors for firemen

The department now says it does not want to acquire the water monitors,arguing better technology is available and can be explored. However,administrative work to acquire this new technology has not yet taken off and the plan to ensure safety of firemen who may be called upon during a terror attack is set for further delay.

Chief fire officer Uday Tatkare said that instead of the monitors,they plan to acquire fire robots,working on the technology of remote-operated vehicles,where a robot will be used to extinguish fire. “We would have had to spend a lot of money on the water monitors,instead we will focus on getting these robots who can fight fire in places that pose a grave risk to lives of our firemen. However,the proposal is still at a very initial stage and we have not been able to narrow down on any company who can provide them. I have heard it is widely used in Israel,” said Tatkare.

Following 26/11,the fire brigade had decided to acquire 12 remote-controlled monitors,two each for its six regional command centres in the city. But the acquisition was delayed due to administrative reasons. These monitors were to be imported from European companies at nearly Rs 10 lakh per unit.

How they work
* Remote-controlled water monitors operate on radio frequency.
* Mounted on a truck,can discharge water from a distance at high pressure in horizontal and vertical directions.
* The truck can be 30-80 m from the fire. Discharge up to 3 lakh litres per minute.
* A person in the truck changes the positioning of a water monitor. Fire brigade has 31 manual water monitors,but using these put the operator’s life at a risk.