Member Article

Fire engines go green

New contracts for a range of pumping appliance vehicles for the fire and rescue service in England have been awarded this week. The contracts reportedly offer significant advantages in standardisation, combined with flexibility and environmental friendliness. The vehicles will have the very latest technology designed to improve the safety of firefighters. However, the vehicles will also be more environmentally friendly in terms of emissions and fuel consumption than those currently in use by the fire and rescue services. Eighty-five per cent of the components will be recyclable and the vehicles are 35 per cent lighter.

Minister for the Fire Service Angela Smith said: “The award of these contracts is a further demonstration of the Government’s commitment to equipping the fire and rescue service with equipment tested to meet the demands of today’s world – including meeting environmental standards.”

The vehicles will also be capable of being fitted with the latest technology as part of the FireControl project that will provide site information direct to the vehicle cab and FireLink that will provide an interoperable communications system. This is the first major set of contracts negotiated by Firebuy Ltd - the company set up to handle procurement for all 46 fire and rescue services in England. The first vehicles are expected on the road during Autumn 2007.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .