The MFB has one snorkel platform that can rise up to a height of 90 metres, which equates to a 30-storey building. This platform was added to the fleet in 2015. The new platforms will be able to reach up to buildings having 35 storeys.

“Over the past 10 years, the average height of Mumbai’s buildings has increased. Our audit has found that many new buildings have 40 storeys or more today. Therefore, we are purchasing this new snorkel to make sure that an emergency response could be carried out promptly in the future,” a senior official said.

The MFB earlier this month floated a tender inviting bids for procuring the platforms. This will be the first time in 10 years that the MFB will make such a major upgrade to its firefighting fleet.

“Our data shows that more than 80 per cent of the fires originate in high-rises. Most of these buildings don’t have an in-house firefighting mechanism in place, due to which the entire building gets filled with smoke easily, and we can’t reach the top floors if victims are trapped there. Therefore, in such a situation, we have to make access from outside, for which platforms like these become useful,” the official said.

The official added that the MFB was planning to induct these platforms by the end of this year so that they can be used for firefighting operations from 2026 onwards.

Earlier this year, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) floated tenders to acquire six rescue boats to be used by the MFB to rescue people drowning in the sea. The cost of each boat was pegged at Rs 9.62 lakh, while the total size of the tender was pegged at Rs 64 lakh, inclusive of taxes.