Burn injuries are a worry. And after the horrific helicopter crash this month killing 13 people, including General Bipin Rawat, even more so.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation or DRDO have just readied suits that are more fire-resistant. A special Fire Entry suit can allow someone to go inside a burning building, or for that matter, an aircraft or helicopter. Rescue personnel in these special suits can be inside a ‘fire zone’ for 150 seconds, a lot of time when every second is of enormous value.
A lightweight structural firefighting suit can allow rescue personnel to enter a burning building to bring out people. The DRDO versions have exceeded the European EN-469 standard and equalled the American 4971 standard.
They are cheaper, indigenous and at 25 kgs are lighter than many suits. As Dr Prosun Roy, who headed the design team says, it can be used by the petrochemical industries as well. If a leaky valve has to be dealt with in a burning building, these suits, which can be manufactured without much difficulty, are ideal for the job.
