LUCKNOW Water drones will soon be part of the UP Fire Department armory to help combat tragedies in areas inaccessible to firefighters. A trial of one such drone was recently conducted in Hazratganj and officials have suggested some changes to the gadget to make it more effective in putting out fires in high-rise buildings and narrow alleyways.
Demonstration of aquatic drones at the Hazratganj fire station on May 20. (Source) {{^userSubscribe}} {{/userSubscribe}} {{^userSubscribe}} {{/userSubscribe}}
“The department is considering purchasing aquatic drones. A company demonstrated the gadget at the Hazratganj fire station on Saturday. The drone appeared to be efficient but needed some modifications keeping in mind real crisis situations,” said Mangesh Kumar, Chief Fire Officer (CFO), Lucknow.
He explained that the demonstration drone had a lighter and narrower water pipe. “But in real-life situations, the drone should be able to carry the heavy water pipes used in firefighters and also withstand water pressure during rescue operations. Aquatic drones can be useful for carrying out rescue operations in high-rise buildings over 42 meters where firefighters find it difficult to reach,” Kumar added.
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The CFO said the hydraulic ladder for firefighters can reach up to 42 meters, but buildings are now over 100 meters and these drones could be effective in fires at such heights. “Water drones could also be useful for reaching buildings with a narrow passage where firefighters cannot reach,” he pointed out.
Kumar, however, added that the firefighting technical committee would not approve the purchase order until he was completely satisfied with the changes to the aquatic drones. He said that initially these water drones were to be used in cities like Lucknow, Gautam Buddh Nagar and Ghaziabad where many buildings over 100 meters in height had been erected in recent times.
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