To tackle the problem of reaching the place of disaster quickly through the narrow lanes and bylanes of the city,the Pune Fire Brigade had inducted six bikes fully-equipped with modern tools in March last year. Much to the citys dismay,their induction has been of little use as they were used just once in 20 months. As staffers pointed fingers at the administration for not letting them use the bikes,senior officials blamed the staffers saying they are reluctant to use them. The Fire Brigade had inducted into its fleet six firefighting motorbikes equipped with compact water mist generating system for speedy fire control along with life-saving equipment like first-aid box and gel blankets to prevent burns. One unit of the Royal Enfield bullet bike along with the equipment had cost Rs 7 lakh each. A station in-charge with one of the 12 fire stations under Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) said,These bikes are now gathering dust in the warehouse at the Central Fire Station. There is only one record when these bikes were used. Two of them were taken out for a drill just before the Ganesh Festival last year. After the bikes were procured,none of the fire stations received any communication about the use of these bikes. No rules,standard operating procedures or guidelines were laid down. On every occasion,senior officers refused to allow us to use them without citing any specific reason. A fireman said,Even in the cases where fire tenders can reach without difficulty,the bikes can reach the spot and start the basic rescue operations. If you ask firemen about these bikes,most of them dont even know where they are. These bikes have two 10-litre tanks with nine parts water and one part foam. The bikes can be more efficient and can use resources more effectively. We get calls for small short circuits,vehicles catching fire and people getting stuck in lift. To carry out such operations,these bikes are the best option. We have no idea why we are not being allowed to use them. Senior officials claim they have kept the keys at our disposal,but that is meaningless without their consent. Station in-charges have not been given powers to use the bikes, said another station in-charge. The staffer alleged,We suspect that these officers dont want to make use of these bikes till the warranty period is over. Chief Fire Officer Prashant Ranpise said,Our staffers are reluctant to use the bikes. When asked if the staffers gave reasons for not using bikes,Ranpise said,We dont know. But I will now look into this and ensure these bikes are used whenever necessary.
