Ahmedabad: The Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) is going to purchase a 104-metre hydraulic fire crane, Standing Committee Chairman Kamlesh Patel announced on Thursday.

Patel said the necessary preparations for purchasing the high-rise firefighting equipment have been completed. At present, the Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Services department operates cranes ranging from 50 to 80 metres in height.

The addition of the 104-metre crane is going to enhance the fire department’s ability to tackle emergencies in high-rise buildings and large structures.

The civic body has also decided to revise the fire service charges for operations carried out beyond AMC limits. The standing committee chairmen state that no charges are levied for firefighting services provided within Ahmedabad city limits. But, when fire department teams are deployed to private industrial estates, GIDC areas or locations outside Ahmedabad, the civic body incurs expenses related to fuel consumption and manpower deployment.

To account for these costs, AMC has revised the charges for such services. Notably, the revision comes nearly 15 years after the last increase in fire service charges, which was implemented in 2011. DeshGujarat