To thwart the firefighting perils of heavily crowded cities and scenes with narrow crossings, many two-wheeled fire apparatus have been put in service in several fire departments in India, reports rushlane.com.
A traditional apparatus sometimes can’t reach certain scenes—thus the motorcycle-style apparatus was developed. Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Kottayam are among the cities that have deployed it, the report says.
Many of the vehicles are based on Royal Enfield motorcycles, and, in most cases, the Bullet 500cc bike is the top pick.
The latest to be put in service will be deployed by the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), according to the report. Initially, PCMC will purchase three for Rs 13.5 lakh (about $18,000) each, which includes the bike and equipment.
The engine is a 411cc air-cooled SOHC unit that generates 24.3 bhp of max power at 6,500 rpm and 32 Nm of peak torque at 4,500 rpm. It’s mated to a five-speed constant mesh gearbox, the report notes.
Each bike is painted red with yellow markings and equipped with: 20-liter water tanks on each rear side; 100-foot hose on a rear-mounted reel; a high-pressure pump; and a pressure-washer-style nozzle, according to the report.
The Himalayan firefighting bikes will each carry two firefighters and can also be used for rescue and evacuation missions, as well as route-clearing vehicles.