Bush's security personnel ask Mumbai Fire Brigade if it can combat chemical and nuclear warfare
Bush's security personnel ask Mumbai Fire Brigade if it can combat chemical and nuclear warfare
Mumbai Fire Brigade officials were stumped at the volley of questions thrown at them by the personal security guards of former US President George Bush, before his arrival in Mumbai on Saturday afternoon.
The fire and security preparedness of both the Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) has been cause for worry for Bush's security personnel. Almost a year after the 26/11 attacks, the Mumbai Fire Brigade is yet to acquire crucial equipment to combat fire emergencies during terror situations. Last week, a joint meeting was held between the ex-President's security officials, the Mumbai police and the fire brigade to discuss the security arrangements in the city during the time Bush would be here. The fire department representatives were asked six questions out of which three put them in a fix.
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Bush's security personnel outside The Taj Mahal Palace Hotelu00a0
PIC/ BIPIN KOKATE |
Confirming the incident, S G Amin, Assistant Deputy Fire Officer (ADFO), Fort area, reveals to Sunday MiD DAY, "They (security officials) were keen to know whether the MFB is capable of handling situations arising out of chemical or atomic attack. Our reply was a blatant no as we are not trained to handle such emergencies."
Secondly, Bush's security personnel wanted to get an idea of the MFB's capabilities but were left unimpressed.
Forget facing a nuclear or chemical warfare attack, the Mumbai Fire Brigade cannot douse even regular fires on the floors above the 12th floor as the ladders or snorkels can reach only up to the 12th floor. "We in the process of procuring a taller ladder which can reach the 22-23th floor," says Amin.
The officials were also keen to know more about the equipment that the fire department used. "However, the security experts were notu00a0 impressed with the response they received from us," says Amin.
As per the standard protocol, apart from the security cover provided by sleuths attached to the local police station and special branch officers, the fire department also deployed a fire engine outside the Taj Hotel to tackle any emergency.
Uday Tatkare, chief fire officer, says in MFB's defence, "We had a week-long training conducted by BARC on how to tackle chemical warfare. We are also in a process to buy dosimeters to check and measure radiation in case there is a situation like this."
