New Delhi: It will be difficult for fire tenders to reach spots of incidents in the national capital within 3-5 minutes unless dedicated lanes are made available, Parliament was informed Wednesday.
"The response time of 3-5 minutes is a difficult target to
achieve unless a separate dedicated lane is available for fire
tenders to reach the site and fire stations are located at
every kilometer," Minister of State for Home Mullappally
Ramachandran said in the Rajya Sabha.
He, however, said 17 more fire stations would be
commissioned in Delhi by 2013 taking the total to 70.
Standing Fire Advisory Council, an MHA-appointed committee to advise on all aspects of development of fire service in the country, had recommended that fire tenders should reach the place of incident in 3-5 minutes of getting complaint.
"The response time varies considerably and depends on
traffic conditions enroute and the distance from the fire
stations," the minister said during Question Hour.
Ramachandran admitted that in majority of the cases, the
response time is more than 3-5 minutes, especially in the congested areas of Delhi.
"In the 10th and 11th Five Year Plan, 22 fire stations
have been commissioned taking the total to 53, as on date.
Eight more are in various stages of construction. By 2013, 70
fire stations are targeted to be achieved," he said.
Delhi Fire Service, he said, has started a pilot project
of placing mobile fire tenders at strategic locations. Five
such tenders have already been set up.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, December 21, 2011, 16:30