Ranchi: Fifty-eight fire tenders, equipped with mist technology, were inducted into the fire department on Thursday. Chief minister Hemant Soren flagged off the vehicles at a programme organised at Home Guard Training Institute in Dhurwa. The new fire engines, officials said, is aimed at modernisation and making fire service more effective.Soren said mini tenders will enable firefighters to reach the spots in densely populated areas and navigate narrow lanes. “New technologies are steps towards citizen’s safety,” he said.The mini fire tenders would be distributed among all 45 fire stations in the state. There would be at least two mini tenders each at fire stations in urban areas. Officials said that mist technology breaks water into small droplets, which form layers over the fire, minimising the oxygen supply.DG fire services and home guard M S Bhatia said, “In the coming days, the fire service would also have more foam tenders, a hydraulic platform and articulating tower to attend fire at the high-rise buildings. This equipment would lead to a remarkable increase in disaster response capabilities of the fire wing.”Bhatia said fire safety rules, which have been sent to the state home department for approval, will permit fire wing personnel to impose fines and issue legal notices, which in turn would ensure stricter implementation of fire safety norms.“Apart from strengthening the fire department, the stakeholders, including the people, were being educated on fire safety measures,” he added.Senior state officials, including chief secretary Avinash Kumar, additional chief secretary Vandana Dadel and director general of police Tadasha Mishra, were present on the occasion.
