Network Rail and London Fire Brigade - QinetiQ delivers a solution for fires involving Acetylene cylinders
3 April 2008
Commuter disruption caused by fires involving Acetylene cylinders that are close to railway tracks could be minimised if the current six month trial using remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) continues to prove successful. Network Rail, working with the London Fire Brigade (LFB), has commissioned QinetiQ, the international defence and security technology company, to provide and operate specialised ROVs. These can be used to safely assess and deal with the cylinders, allowing incidents to be resolved more quickly, so enabling the lines to be promptly reopened.
If Acetylene cylinders are thought to be involved in a fire, the Brigade can request the attendance of QinetiQ. The ROVs, with their all-terrain capabilities, will be able to enter environments that would be unsafe for firefighters. Their cameras can identify whether any Acetylene cylinders are present and, using thermal imaging, can gauge whether the cylinders are sufficiently cool for the Brigade to safely approach and deal with them.