THREE Berkshire fire stations have welcomed new additions to their teams.
Bracknell, Ascot and Wokingham Road stations have each been given a new Volvo fire engine, as part of a project between Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS), Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes and Oxfordshire County Council Fire and Rescue Service.
It means that all wholetime fire stations in Berkshire now have a Volvo fire engine to serve their communities.
The Earley fire station received its red machine on Friday, May 14.
James Sunderland, MP for Bracknell was at the presentation for his town’s fire station on Friday, May 21.
Cllr Angus Ross, strategic asset lead member for Royal Berkshire Fire Authority, said he was delighted to officially unveil the latest additions to the RBFRS fleet.
“It gives me immense pride that following a successful joint procurement process with our Thames Valley partners, the entire wholetime fleet in Royal Berkshire has now been upgraded to the new vehicle,” he said. “These new fire engines offer a wide range of improvements and better equip our firefighters to serve the people of Royal Berkshire.”
Cllr Colin Dudley, chairman of Royal Berkshire Fire Authority, said one of the Fire Authority’s strategic commitments is to ensure a swift and effective response when called out.
“As part of our Strategic Asset Investment Framework, we continue to invest in vital assets that benefit the community,” he said.
“The Fire Authority has prioritised investing in frontline fire appliances, recognising the importance of providing fit for purpose equipment to support the services provided by a modern fire and rescue service.”
The new fire engines have been built by Emergency One on Volvo FL 42R chassis.
The machines have larger hose reels to spray more water and battery-powered rescue equipment that are used at car crashes.
This is easier to carry and removes generator noise from rescue situations. The equipment is also quicker to deploy, reducing the time to access and rescue people who are trapped and injured.
