Fire fighters to get special training !!!!!

About 21 fire-fighters in the State Fire and Emergency Department will be given a week-long training in combating fire using hydraulic platforms at the Fire Training Centre at Vattinagulapalli. The department recently acquired three state-of-art hydraulic platforms to beef up its fire-fighting prowess in high-rise buildings and malls.

The training would enable them to deal with fire accidents in high rise buildings, particularly of the kind witnessed in the Secretariat recently, more efficiently than by the conventional methods adopted till now.

The sophisticated hydraulic platforms and turntable ladders provide greater flexibility and manoeuvreability in fire fighting operaions. These platforms can reach up to 54 meters height to put out fire. The department work, hitherto, is severely hampered by lack of advanced equipment to deal with fire accidents.

"The department has just one snorkel which can reach up to 10-storeyed buildings. The new imported platforms can reach up to 18 floors within three minutes to rescue people in case of any fire mishap. The vehicles are at present kept at the Fire Training Centre, Vattinagulapalli. Once the training is over, the vehicles will be stationed one each at Madhapur, Gowliguda and at the training school at Vattinagulapally, " said Mr P. Deen Dayal, district fire officer.

The hydraulic platforms cost Rs 5 cr each. The specialised vehicle `Hazmat,' from Germany costing Rs. 5 crore, which is equipped to deal with chemical, biological and nuclear disasters, is on the way, and it will be stationed in the new fire station at Secretariat.

Nearly 21 senior fire fighters will be trained in the hydraulic platform operations at the AP Fire and Emergency services Home guard Training School in Vattinagulapally under the supervision of Sunil Kaul, Engineer, Brijbasi from Delhi. The firemen will require a week long training to operate the vehicle and each of the vehicles will require seven firemen for operation.