Delhi Fire Services (DFS) will be introducing five sophisticated vehicles and three new stations next year, when it modernises its control room also.

According to DFS Director A K Sharma, the five fast response vehicles equipped with a portable fire fighting system and other basic devices for quick response and easy maneuverability in smaller lanes will be introduced in the new year.

“We have already procured five SUVs and equipped them with latest state-of-the-art fire fighting equipment as well as GPS-enabled automatic vehicle tracking system”.

“These fast response vehicles will help in improving the response time of the fire-fighters, find the shortest route and facilitate reinforcement,” Sharma said at a seminar ‘Safety Convention’ organised by Institute of Engineers and Safety and Quality Forum.

Besides introducing fast response vehicles, he said, they were also buying another five vehicles with water-mist technology which will help in attending to emergencies instantly.

“We are modernising with latest GPS based tracking system. This will help in faster mobilisation mechanism as currently a lots of time is wasted finding the location of fire,” Sharma said.

By March 2011, he said, three fire stations-two in East Delhi and one in the Civic Centre of MCD will be operationalised.

At present there are 53 fire stations in the capital and DFS plans to add another 15 during the next financial year.

He said they have plans to make it mandatory for major buildings to have a dedicated fire officer in the coming days.

“We also plan to make it mandatory for all buildings to get their fire fighting certified every two years,” he said.