Mumbai: BMC plans new firefighting technology for high-rise buildings

According to civic records, Mumbai has more than 4000 high-rise buildings; Drones with CAFS nozzles are being also developed to reach areas inaccessible to firefighters

The BMC is planning to introduce a Compressed Air Foam System (CAFS) to enhance firefighting efficiency in the high-rise buildings. 

“CAFS offers superior fire suppression capabilities. This technology combines water, foam concentrate, and compressed air to produce a powerful firefighting foam that is more effective than traditional water-based methods”, said a Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) official.

In the high-rise buildings, the pressure of water reduces during the firefighting, and using the compressed air foaming system, this issue will be solved, as a firefighter can carry a portable unit of CAFS, fire officials said.  Chief Fire Officer (CFO) Ravindra Amburgekar said, “We are working on this system to enhance our firefighting capacity in the high-rise.”  

Explaining further, another MFB official said, “This system generates high-energy foam, which adheres to surfaces, cools fires rapidly, and reduces water usage significantly. It has the ability to cover large areas with minimal water consumption, which helps in areas with limited water supply.”

According to civic records, Mumbai has more than 4000 high-rise buildings and over 200 skyscrapers that are 40 floors above. According to fire safety norms, all high-rises are required to maintain an internal fire fighting system like parallel water supply for fighting, fire alarms, and fire sprinklers. 

“Although there are guidelines placed for the internal fire system in the high-rise, during the emergency, we never depend on it…We carry our fire fighting system with us,” the official added.  “CAFS can integrate with standpipe systems instead of relying solely on water systems. Also, there are portable backpack-sized CAFS units that the firefighters can carry. This machine can also be operated using drones. Drones with CAFS nozzles are being developed to reach areas inaccessible to firefighters in extreme conditions,” officials further explained. 

Mahesh Padaya, a resident of a high-rise at Prabhadevi, said, “There is a need for regular upgradation of the fire brigade. As the number of high-rises is rising, even new SRA and MHADA buildings have become high-rises. MFB should upgrade with time.” 

200
No. of skyscrapers in Mumbai 

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