Fire officer’s vintage collection gives peek into history of fire fighting

VADODARA: He has saved hundreds of citizens from fire mishaps in and around the city and his job keeps him on the toes all the time.
But that has not deterred Parth Brahmbhatt, station officer with Vadodara Fire and Emergency Services (VFES), to pursue his hobby. In his career spanning nine years with a private company and then in VFES, Brahmbhatt has been collecting equipment which were used in fire fighting operations before modern technology came in.
Brahmbhatt has so far collected nine equipment, which were used in 1960s and 1970s and were decommissioned over the years as new technology came in. But he plans to collect more equipment with a plan to make a fire brigade museum which will be the first in state and second in the country after the one in Pune.
“Since childhood, when my father used to take me to Sayajibaug, I used to be fascinated by a Merryweather-made fire engine which is on display there. So every time I visited Sayajibaug, I used to imagine of having a collection of vintage fire equipment and engine,” said Brahmbhatt, whose father was also a fire officer.
Brahmbhatt has not yet been able to get a vintage fire engine, but have been able to collect a dry chemical powder tank used in 1966, a 1960-manufactured foam trailer, firemen’s bicycle, conical extinguishers and water hydrants. He said that in earlier times, the trailers used to be pulled by horses. “These are designed in such a way that even when animals are not present, even firemen can pull them and reach on the spot,” said Brahmbhatt, who is currently stationed at Vadiwadi fire station in city.
He said that most of the hydrants in his collection are of Vadodara, while the trailers are from outside the city. “I remain in contact with fire officers posted in different companies and fire departments outside the city for my collection. They know about my passion, so they contact me when they have something which can be part of my collection,” he said.
“Museums across the country tell us about the history of civilizations, rulers and empires, but hardly somebody in today’s times know how fire department came into existence and how they operated back then. Through the collection I want to show how firemen used to work decades ago,” Brahmbhatt added while talking about his future plan of museum.