Keeping the aerial platforms safe in India
Like all fire fighting equipment, the aerial platforms need regular maintenance to remain safe and ready for the moment they are needed fighting fires and rescuing people. The lifespan of a Bronto platform can be quite long and extend even over 30 years if maintained properly. There are about a 100 Bronto units in India and our local distributor and service partner Brijbasi Hi Tech Udyog Ltd is providing complete after sales service, annual maintenance and repairs for all of them.
Recently, three different Bronto platforms were being taken care of at Brijbasi’s factory in Mumbai. A 44-metre F44RLX mounted on a Volvo chassis is in for an annual maintenance and some repairs. The unit is owned by the Fire and Emergency service of Vadodara, the third largest city in the Indian state of Gujarat, and was originally delivered in 2013. It will be ready to serve again after few days of inspection and maintenance. Also in for it’s annual maintenance is Thane Fire Brigade’s F54RLX. Thane’s 54-metre aerial ladder platform was originally delivered back in 2010, so this year marks it’s tenth year in service.
Third Bronto platform treated at Brijbasi factory is a 42-metre F42RL that was originally sold and delivered to Macao in 2005. After well served years in a fire brigade it will retire from service and make room for updated fire fighting equipment. However, it’s days contributing to working at height are far from over. The unit will undergo thorough inspection and repairs and continue serving as an access platform in a rental company’s fleet.
With such a long lifespan, it is not uncommon that retiring fire fighting units will continue their career providing safe working method for the access industry. The fire fighting needs may have changed for example as the buildings get taller, but the aerial platform still has many productive years to go.
