Robots to help douse fires in Capital

New Delhi: In a bid to make it safer for firefighters, the Delhi government has purchased automatic remote-controlled fire fighting robots to douse fires in the national Capital. Two remote-controlled robots have been inducted into Delhi's fire fighting fleet, which will have greater accessibility to places and will be able to douse fires in narrow streets, warehouses, basements, stairs, and forests. They can also bring under control fire breakouts in oil and chemical tankers.

Home minister Satyendar Jain said that if the trial is successful, more such robots will be inducted into the fleet.

The robots will prove to be major troubleshooters for the firefighters and there will be a drastic reduction in the risk that the firefighters have to put up with. Apart from that the wireless remote attached to the robot is capable of controlling the spray of water which can help douse fire at inaccessible locations. Besides, the robots can release water at high pressure at the rate of 2,400 litres per minute. The spray installed in it divides the water into small droplets and scatters it up to an area of 100 metres.

"Our government has procured remote-controlled fire fighting machines. Our brave fireman can now fight fires from a maximum safe distance of up to 100 meters. This will help reduce collateral damage and save precious lives," said Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Like Army tanks, the robot is equipped with a crawler belt at the bottom, just above the tires which allow the robot to move easily into congested places and gain access to hard 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. The robot upon reaching the fire site can then extract the smoke caused by the fire in the building through its ventilation system.