Firemen to get state-of-the-art training centre at Wadala in Mumbai

The city’s firemen will soon be training in a state-of-the-art drill centre at Wadala.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has set aside a budget of Rs16 crore for construction of the three-storey drill tower at Wadala Fire Brigade.

According to official data, in 2017, the city reported 4,790 fires, which wrecked cinema studios, dilapidated buildings, plush restaurants and illegal structures. More than 32 people have died in the blaze in the past four months.

Currently, the fire brigade’s only drill tower, also at Wadala, has an exercise room, smoke simulators and an elevated tower. The civic body now plans to build a multi-activity simulator for training. The tower will have dummy residential and commercial structures populated with dummy citizens. At the new centre, trenches and tunnels under the tower will have simulated environments for horizontal rescue operations, while rope rescue will train firemen for vertical rescue operations. Fire and smoke simulators will recreate fire conditions inside structures. Moreover, there will be a fire control room model. Also, firemen will be trained to check what led to the fire in real time.

According to a senior fire official, the cost includes maintenance and operations for five years. “Such training centres are being used in countries namely Sweden and Singapore. Firemen need to be trained in real-time situations. A multi-activity simulator will help build capacity and increase the fireman’s role during disasters,” said the official.

Chief fire officer PS Rahangdale told HT that plans for the training centre have been finalised and the tendering process will start soon. “It will take about a year for the training centre to be set-up. The training will be a continuous process,” said Rahangdale.