Delhi: In another significant overhaul of the Delhi Fire Service, the Delhi Government has undertaken a unique initiative of using robots for extinguishing fires in the city. Initially, the Government has inducted two robots into Delhi’s firefighting fleet. These remote controlled fire fighting robots will have greater accessibility to places and will be able to douse off fires in narrow streets, warehouses, basements, stairs, forests, and enter places like oil and chemical tankers and factories.
Home Minister Shri Satyendar Jain said, “For the first time such remote control robots have been brought into the country which are capable of controlling fire remotely. At present, the Delhi Government has inducted 2 such robots, if the trial is successful, more such robots will be inducted into the fleet. These remote controlled robots will prove to be major troubleshooters for the firefighters. After the induction of these robots, there will be a drastic reduction in the risk that the firefighters have to put up with. Apart from this, these robots will also be capable of releasing high water pressure at the rate of 2,400 liters per minute. The wireless remote attached to this robot is capable of controlling the spray of water. This means that the robot will be able to douse fire even in places which firefighters cannot possibly access."
This robot is operated through a remote control. The robot is made of such material which resists fire, smoke, heat, or any other external subject. Like army tanks, it is equipped with a crawler belt at the bottom, just above the tires. This belt allows the robot to move easily into congested places and gain access to hard to reach spots. It also comes with a ventilation fan which can be used to keep the machine cool. Moreover, the robot can cover an area of about 100 meters at once and is capable of dousing fire immediately. Where firefighters have to endanger their lives to put out the fire, firefighting robots would be able to do this work easily and with enhanced precision.
Atul Garg, Director of Delhi Fire Service, said that every robot is equipped with water pipes and is controlled using a wireless remote. The robot upon reaching the fire site can then extract the smoke caused by the fire in the building through its ventilation system. These robots make use of high water pressure to douse the fire, spraying 2,400 liters of water in a minute. The spray installed in them divides the water into small droplets and scatters it up to an area of 100 meters.
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Special training has been given to fire personnel to operate the robots. Home Minister Shri Satyendar Jain said, “The firefighters of Delhi Fire Service have also been given specialised training to operate the robot. A separate SOP has also been prepared, which will be followed to control the fire. It mainly describes when, how, and under what circumstances the robots can be used. A high-resolution camera is installed in this robot as well, which is capable of showing clear pictures despite the presence of fire, smoke, and water around it. There are connectors in the rear end of the robot, through which pipes are attached to connect it to the water tanker. There is a big fan on its upper part, which not only acts as an exhaust fan to throw out the smoke but also helps in spraying the water far and wide”.
The robots have been specially bought from Austria. Shri Satyendar Jain said, “There is an increase in cases of large scale fire incidents every year, during the scorching summer days. In this context, the Kejriwal Government has decided to induct two such advanced robots in Delhi’s fire service to better equip the firefighters in tackling various challenging fire related incidents with relative ease. The robots were bought from an Austrian company. A few months ago the fire incident that happened in the PVC market of Tikri Kalan was controlled with the help of these robots."
Here are a few special features of the new remote-controlled fire fighting robot
- This machine can be operated remotely from a distance of 300 meters. It will not be affected by fire, smoke, heat, or any other adverse condition.
- With the help of remote control, it can be sent inside the areas affected by the fire.
- It has a tracking system like army tanks, through which these robots can easily climb stairs.
- This robot can be easily used to extinguish fire in high-rise buildings, factories, and underground places.
- It has a 140-horsepower engine. Also, there are many nozzles for water showers. It can be modified according to the need and the level of fire.
- This robot can run at a speed of four kilometers per hour.
- The sensor and camera are installed in the front part of the robot. The sensor will go near the fire and release the water according to the temperature there.
- Various types of equipment can also be installed in the front part of the robot, with the help of which it can break the window or door and extinguish the fire inside.
- The robot has cameras that can take stock of the situation inside the building, etc. With this, it will be easy to know whether a person is trapped inside or not.
- The robot will have a pipe attached to its rear so that it can draw water from the tankers standing outside and spray water all around. With this, the fire can be brought under control in less time without any risk.