Fire dept’s SOS to Centre for aid to replace ageing fleet

Bengaluru: Karnataka’s Fire and Emergency Services Department has reached out to the Union government for aid in replacing around 300 outdated fire tenders, which must be mandatorily phased out as per the vehicle scrapping policy.

Of the 400 plus fire tenders in the state, 284 are 15 years or older, rendering them eligible for scrapping under the policy.

Though it initially sought an exemption from the policy, the department later asked for a gradual scrapping process to retain ample firefighting vehicles.

The department is seeking assistance to replace the barred vehicles.

Fire and emergency services fall under the concurrent list. In her 2023-24 budget speech, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman pledged central support for states in replacing old government vehicles
and ambulances.

While some fire tenders in Karnataka are aged as old as 35 years, they remain in serviceable condition. Typically, vehicles older than 15 years are held in reserve. However, the full implementation of the vehicle scrapping policy could leave numerous fire stations with only one or no fire tender, cautioned a senior fire department official.

“At least two firefighting vehicles are necessary to address significant fire incidents. Having just one would strain resources,” stressed the official.

In Bengaluru, the department contends with an average of 20 fire incident reports per day during summer and five to 10 during other seasons.

“At no juncture can we risk vehicle shortages,” the official said, stressing the urgency behind seeking new vehicles with central assistance.