Need for Vertical Fire Fighting Solutions in High-Rise Buildings for Faster & Safer Evacuation

Despite the increasing number of fire accidents in high-rise buildings, Mumbai is still looking for answers to fire safety and evacuation measures. Once again, the city’s vertical development turned the spotlight on evacuation plans in high-rise buildings. Since the 1944 explosions, Mumbai has been a witness to some of the worst fire accidents. Whether it was the July 2014 fire in Lotus Business Park Andheri or the January 2023 fire at R A Residency Tower, the residents of Mumbai’s high-rise buildings have suffered loss of lives and assets.

Data states that the Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) receives 6000 to 7000 emergency calls in a year, of which, nearly 90% are fire-related complaints. The manpower and equipment required to manage such rescue operations have become a challenge for the Fire Brigade Department. The main challenge for firefighters to rescue people on time in high-rise buildings is carrying heavy-weight equipment. They have reported that only the first 50 meters of a ladder can be reached with ease. The usual 90-meter ladder can give access to the 30th floor, but as they go higher, the wind velocity makes it challenging. They do not have any option to ascend high-rises; the available fire chutes can only be used to come down and not to go up.