ISLAMABAD, Sept 7: The city's fire brigade is not fully prepared to meet any fire emergency in the federal capital as one of its tallest snorkels has been lying nonfunctional since 2009, sources in the Capital Development Authority (CDA) told on Wednesday.

The snorkel was badly damaged in an accident with a US embassy's car. They said the US Embassy had paid Rs7.2 million to the CDA as compensation four months ago but the money was not being released. The damaged snorkel is said to be the tallest one in the CDA's fire brigade with maximum height of 68 meters to reach 20th storey of a building.

The Secretariat police had booked a member of the US Embassy staff, Jimmy Mort in 2009, for ramming his car into the CDA's snorkel at the Radio Pakistan Chowk allegedly under the influence of liquor.

“The US embassy has paid us Rs7.2 million as compensation but the amount could not be released for the repair of the vehicle due to some legal hitches created by the CDA's legal wing,” said the director municipal administration of the authority, Mansoor Ali Khan.

It has been learnt that the legal wing of the CDA was raising undue queries on release of the US compensation as a result the damaged vehicle could not be repaired.

The fire brigade wing of the CDA has four (Bronto) snorkels and two of them are lying idle including the one which met the accident in 2009.

“If fire breaks out in a high rise building in the city, we will not be in a position to meet the emergency as one of the tallest snorkels is nonfunctional,” said an official in the CDA's fire brigade department.

The official said the file related to the release of compensation amount has been moving in the CDA's offices for the last six months.

“Once the money is released, we will call experts from Bronto manufacturing company in Finland to inspect the damaged vehicle and give estimates of the repair work,” the official said.

It has also been learnt that the CDA has not yet constructed proper parking shed for new vehicles at the Fire Brigade Headquarters even after two years, despite spending huge money on the purchase of these fir-fighting units.

The CDA had purchased 35 vehicles worth Rs600 million two years ago. Of them it has received three vehicles including the one which has a 68 meters ladder but was damaged in the accident.

After the government approval for the purchase of these vehicles, the CDA had made a plan to upgrade the existing building of fire brigade according to international standard and to arrange proper parking for the new vehicles.

Most of the newly purchased vehicles required proper environment to protect them from weather effects, but so far the CDA had made no arrangements in this regard.