There will be four new entrants in the West Bengal Fire Services team in a few months’ time. These four are way ahead in their capacity to withstand the heat compared to human beings. These super humans are four robots that will be made part of the firefighting rescue teams of Kolkata.
Remote-operated and capable of fighting fire from a distance of barely 100 meter, these robots are made of steel and have a battery backup life of four hours. They can reach areas that are almost impossible for human firefighters to enter. Sensor-fitted cameras attached to the robots can easily trace the source of fire and douse it with water hoses. Such technology will be used for the first time in West Bengal.
It is not yet clear whether the robots will be used only in case of major fires or for all major and minor ones, but they will be made part of firefighting teams and taken to the spot along with officials who can then supervise the nature of the fire and put the robots to use. As the robots are sensor fitted and can easily detect the source, their use can check the spread of fire and quickly bring situations under control.
According to state fire minister Sujit Basu, the robots will make fire fighting easier in places which were either inaccessible or covered in smoke due to the fire. Officials said that the robots will join the firefighting team of Kolkata within two months.
