HCM CITY – The municipal People’s Committee plans to invest VNĐ8 trillion (US$360 million) in buying new fire-prevention and fire-fighting equipment, including robots and boats.

According to the city’s fire-prevention master plan to 2025, all 24 districts in the city will have professional fire prevention and fighting units with modern equipment and devices, including robots and fire-fighting boats.

Half of the funds will come from the city’s state budget, and the rest from the State budget and private sector.

The plan will be divided into two phases, from 2016 to 2020 and 2021 to 2025.

Poor fire-fighting equipment and incomplete water supply planning have directly impacted on fire prevention and control, said Colonel Lê Tấn Bửu, head of HCM City’s Fire-Fighting Police.

Bửu said the plan aimed to develop a contingent of professional fire-fighting forces to protect the life and property of residents as well as national assets.

Under the plan, the city will purchase 258 fire-fighting vehicles, 61 fire-fighting pumps, two vessels and six canoes for fire fighting on waterways, and two rescue canoes in the 2016-20 period.

Fire police will also promote international co-operation, enhance the quality of fire hydrants and install more than 12,000 underground hydrants.

The plan calls for new technology for digital map and remote sensing, and research on new materials used to prevent fires and new fire-fighting chemical substances.

The fire-fighting forces will build new headquarters and give equipment to localities that do not have professional fire-fighting units.

Around 60 satellite fire-fighting teams will be created to increase efficiency in fire-fighting.

By 2025, the city’s Fire Prevention and Fighting Police Department is expected to have 11 expert bureaus, 24 district sub-departments and 47 firefighting and rescue teams.

Addressing the meeting to announce the plan on Friday, Colonel Nguyễn Mạnh Hội, deputy head of the Ministry of Public Security’s Fire Prevention and Control and Rescue Department, said thousands of fires occurred nation-wide annually.

“The seriousness of fires increases year after year,” said Hội.

“It is crucial to have a scientific and professional force of fire fighters. The plan will intensify the city’s fire-fighting force and contribute to local socio-economic development.” — VNS