The Delhi Fire Service will roll out 24 Quick Response Vehicles (QRVs), which will be deployed at locations vulnerable to traffic congestions and fire incidents, on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday on September 17, officials said on Tuesday.
The authority has earmarked 24 locations across the city with a higher incidence of fire and difficult accessibility. These include Janakpuri, Najafgarh, Vasant Kunj, Rohini Sector 16, Jahangirpuri, Lajpat Nagar, Geeta Colony, Paharganj, Bawana, Chanakyapuri, Dwarka and Moti Nagar.
Under this new initiative, DFS has integrated "an advanced Ultra High-Pressure Pump Extinguishing System and latest technologies into its compact XL6 vehicles, significantly enhancing its ability to respond to urban emergencies,” an official statement said.
The government has allocated funds for the project in three phases. In the first phase, 24 QRVs have been procured at a total cost of Rs 8.61 crore, covering both the vehicles and the specialized firefighting equipment, it said.
Each XL6 vehicle costs Rs 11.05 lakh, while each ultra high-pressure pump system costs Rs 24.8 lakh, it added. The total expenditure includes Rs 2.65 crore for the base vehicles and Rs 5.95 crore for the pumps, it added.
In the second phase, “tender for procurement of 26 Maruti XL6 vehicles was placed on GEM on August 21. High Pressure Pumps will be procured after delivery of XL-6,” the statement read. Proposals for deployment of 50 more QRVs have been prepared under Phase 3, it added.
In the initial phase, QRVs will be staffed by existing DFS personnel, while in the second phase it is planned to outsource manpower, the statement said.
Delhi is one of the most densely populated major cities in the world, and the fire service faces “significant challenges in providing timely and effective service, largely due to the city's high population density & traffic congestion”, the statement read.
It added that traffic congestion is the “biggest challenge faced by fire officials,” with heavy traffic, especially during peak hours, “significantly delaying fire tenders from reaching the scene of a fire” as congested and older parts of the city, particularly slum areas, make it difficult for large fire tenders to navigate.
The official note said these challenges often result in increased response time, and “small fires turn into a big fire which demands more personnel and equipment, significantly increasing the risk of property damage and loss of life”.
Highlighting the benefits of the system, it said the compact vehicles are “designed for maximum efficiency and versatility,” allowing easy navigation through congested lanes and rapid suppression of fires.
“The system operates at just 21 liters per minute, maximizing a 100-litre water tank,” the statement said.
It added the vehicles are versatile in extinguishing different fire types, and capable of managing a blaze in its initial stage to prevent escalation.
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