VietNamNet Bridge – From now to 2025, HCMC will purchase six firefighting helicopters in response to rising fires in residential areas and high-rise buildings.

This is part of a fire prevention and fighting plan in HCMC until 2025 passed by the municipal government on Monday. This is the first time the city has drawn up a plan for fire prevention and fighting.

As per the plan, equipment investment and establishment of professional firefighting teams will be done in three phases.

In the period from 2012 to 2015, firefighting water supply networks on the existing roads will be completed. Fire hydrants and firefighting water tanks will be installed in fire-prone residential areas.

In addition, 26 rescue and firefighting teams will be formed under district fire departments and departments of fire prevention, fighting and rescue on river.

In the 2016-2020 period, the city will complete firefighting water supply networks in new districts and urban areas, with fire hydrants placed 300 meters apart on each side of a road. Underground fire hydrants will be installed in the downtown area.

To quickly put out fires and minimize damages, the city will purchase four helicopters for firefighting, while increasing the number of professional firefighting teams to 97.

In the period from 2021 to 2025, two more firefighting helicopters will be equipped and the total number of professional firefighting teams will be raised to 101.

According to the HCMC Fire Department, in recent years, fires and explosions have frequently occurred in residential areas, export processing zones and industrial parks, causing serious damages to people and properties.

One of the major causes of fires is the lack of firefighting water. Factories only have about 1,000 water tanks for firefighting, and firefighting water reserve is not sufficient for the long term.

With some 3,500 kilometers of road, HCMC now has around 5,700 fire hydrants, while the urban firefighting water supply standards require a city to have over 23,000 fire hydrants.

The number of fire prevention and fighting police units is too small compared to the actual demand. The radius of operation of professional fighting teams does not meet standards and regulations of Vietnam.

Source: SGT