The last of Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue's new fire appliances has been delivered to its new home – Waddington fire station.
33 new Scania appliances have been delivered to fire stations across Lincolnshire over 18 months, prompting enquiries from other fire services in the UK, interested in the specification and build of the Lincolnshire bespoke appliances.
The Waddington crew took delivery of the new vehicle and equipment on Friday 14 May, marking the end of the £8m roll out in the county.
Cllr Lindsey Cawrey, executive councillor for emergency services at the county council, said: “This is a big investment by the county council as the fire service is a priority for us. This new equipment not only keeps our communities safer, but also keeps our firefighters safer. I'm delighted that our fire crews in Lincolnshire will be some of the best equipped in the UK. This may be the last appliance to be delivered, but our commitment to investing in our fire service continues."
The new Scania fire appliances boast:
- a reduced carbon footprint through lower emissions
- wider hose reels, increasing water flow capacity
- longer roof ladders (6m)
- additional road traffic collision equipment for rescues from difficult places
- distinctive community safety messaging on the sides
They will also carry equipment providing on-board charging for handheld radios, as well as thermal-imaging cameras and torches
The Coldcut Cobra system emits a mixture of water and iron filings through a special nozzle at around 400mph. The material can cut through walls, steel and concrete up to 11in thick, leaving tiny holes. The cutting agent is then turned off before a fine mist of water is released directly onto fires.
This significantly reduces the temperature around a fire without the need to enter the building, allowing firefighters to gain entry more quickly and safely. Because the hole created is so small, no oxygen reaches the fire, significantly helping efforts to extinguish it.
All 38 stations in the county now have access to this life-saving equipment.
Chief Fire Officer for Lincolnshire, Mark Baxter, said: “This equipment enables us to be more effective in fighting fires, with the situation more quickly controlled. That leads to a drastic reduction in water damage to homes.
"This project started with us asking firefighters what features they wanted to see in new appliances to do their jobs effectively, and this was at the forefront of the whole design and build. Firefighters across the county give so much to their jobs and their communities, it's only right we keep them as well-protected as possible."
This month also sees the service's new multi-purpose water carrier come into service.