Late Fire Chief Sunil Nesarikar's Final Gift to Mumbai

Mumbai: Mumbai's fire brigade is set to get its tallest ladder, which can reach as high as 30 floors, by the end of this month, thanks to the efforts of late Chief Fire Officer Sunil Nesarikar, who had visited Finland days before the Kalbadevi blaze to test the equipment

Days before the fateful fire in the Kalbadevi building which killed Chief Fire Officer Sunil Nesarikar, he had gone to Finland to test a new ladder to ensure his department was prepared better to fight fires.

While Nesarikar is no more to see his efforts come to fruition, he leaves behind a gift for the fire brigade its tallest ever ladder that will prove vital to future firefighting operations in high-rises.

Before the Gokul Niwas blaze on May 9, in which Nesarikar suffered 50 per cent third-degree burns that resulted in his death, he had shared the pictures of his test drive with this reporter. The Bronto Skylift F 90 HLA is a hydraulic platform ladder vehicle with a working height of 90 metres.

Mumbai fire brigade's tallest ladder, as of now, is 68 metres tall and can reach up to 22 floors. The F 90 HLA, which is expected to arrive in the city by the end of this month, can reach up to 30 floors. With residential and commercial spaces in the city reaching new heights, literally, the civic body decided to purchase the F 90 HLA to ensure they were adequately prepared to douse fires in these skyscrapers.

Advertisement

Nesarikar had visited Finland in the first week of May and personally tested the entire unit. Having landed in Mumbai thereafter, he had narrated his experience to this reporter. "This is a new machine for the Mumbai fire brigade and it is the tallest ladder we will have. Till now, we have a ladder that is 68 metres tall, but this one will be better.

Going all the way to the 30th floor was an amazing experience," he had told mid-day then, adding, "this vehicle will be very helpful to our department, as Mumbai has many high-rise buildings now." Speaking about the technical prowess of the vehicle, Nesarikar had said that though the ladder is powered by a main engine, it can also be operated using a small stand-by pump, should the main system break down.

Advertisement

"We have multiple options ensuring the vehicle never stops functioning. If both the engine and SSP (stand-by pump) fail, we can operate the ladder using electric supply," Nesarikar had described to mid-day. This first-of-its-kind vehicle will have Byculla fire station as its home. The equipment will cost the BMC approximately Rs 15 crore.