The Delhi Fire Service is to launch a special wing, comprising motorcycle-borne firemen, to tackle fires in congested areas of the city, particularly in the Walled City.

Chief Fire Officer R C Sharma said the service would initially comprise ten motorcycle-borne personnel equipped with special fire fighting equipment. Each of the motorcycles will carry nine litres of water, along with gas cylinders that will be used to produce mist, or a mixture of pressurised air and water, to extinguish fires.

Sharma said the fire service came up with the idea of using motorcycles to reach crowded areas of the city, since fire tenders are often unable to enter and negotiate the narrow by-lanes of the Walled City and other congested parts of the city like Sadar Bazaar.

“Often small fires spread to become major ones. The motorcycles are intended to help firemen act speedily to control small fires in their initial phase,” he said.

This method is already in use in the US and the UK, from where it is being imported. Around ten such bikes are to be introduced before March 2009, each costing approximately Rs 3.5 lakh, with the possibility of more being introduced if successful.

These plans are also directed towards the Commonwealth Games, with fire engines being deployed in all major event and practice venues. Two more fire stations are also being added at the Commonwealth Games Village and at Mayur Vihar, to allow faster response to any potential fire mishaps.

These measures follow several other steps aimed at expanding and streamlining the Delhi Fire Service. These include the expansion in numbers of fire stations in Delhi, from the current 49 to 70 by 2010. This year, fire stations have been opened at Jwala Heri, Tikri Kalan, Tahirpur, Sarita Vihar, Paschim Vihar and in Sectors 5 and 15 in Rohini. The increase in numbers is slated to reduce the response time of the fire service in various parts of Delhi.

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