Fire Service personnel to go hi-tech; discard khaki uniform

Come October and the Delhi Fire Service personnel will sport an orange uniform instead of the traditional 'khaki' outfit.

Besides the new dress code, the DFS will go hi-tech with the acquisition of an array of state-of-the-art equipment, including tetra communication system, automatic vehicle locating system and rapid response vehicles before the start of the Commonwealth Games on October three.

"We will be wearing a new orange uniform to have a distinct identity of fire fighting personnel during the Commonwealth Games," Delhi fire service director RC Sharma said.

The new dress will have inherent flame retardant fabrics and an illuminous strip.

DFS will also be acquiring 20 'Rapid Response Vehicles', which include ten fast moving cars equipped with communication system, cutting tools, light generation machine and water mist extinguishers and modern tools to fight fire hazards in stadia and Games village.

The fire fighting unit will be equipped with automatic vehicle locating system (AVLS) and tetra communication system for having a smooth and effective communication network during the Games.

For the first time, fire brigade headquarters will have GPS-based AVLS to trace fire engines on the web. Four large screens will be set up at the headquarters to monitor the movement of fire engines across the city, Sharma said.

DFS is also acquiring ten motorcycles equipped with the communication system and fire fighting equipment aimed at providing swift response during emergency situations.

These vehicles can be quickly driven through crowded areas and narrow lanes and can reach the sites faster in case of fire mishaps, Sharma said.

The Delhi Fire Service personnel will also be provided with 80 handsets of tetra communication system. "The system was used during Melbourne and Beijing Games and we will be using it during the Games," Sharma said.

Gearing up for the biggest sporting extravaganza, the Fire Service will be deploying a total of 650 personnel, 60 fire engines and three Hazmat vehicles at various venues during the event.

Hazmat vehicles are procured from Holland for dealing with natural calamity and chemical incidents. These special vehicles are equipped with cutting and lifting tools, special protective chemical suits, weather and wind speed monitoring system among others.

There will also be a comprehensive training programme for Games volunteers to make them aware of the basic fire fighting exercise.