Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue Service has taken delivery of four new Scania trucks to give its firefighters access to “state-of-the-art” technology.
The Type B appliances, each costing £350,000, are the first new fire engines for the county in more than a decade, boosting the fire service’s firefighting capability and improving the working conditions of crew members.
Amongst the enhanced features are CCTV cameras for reversing, full air suspension, new front and rear sensors to alert the position of nearby pedestrians, USB ports, and cab air conditioning to help firefighters after exposure to high temperatures.
Other enhancements include brand-new cutting equipment for road traffic collisions, bigger hoses and fuel tanks and, to assist with storage, there are separate lockers for breathing apparatus, spare equipment and isolated storage for contaminated kit.
The cabs also feature night lighting and fold-down tables, so that they can be used as a mobile office for crews carrying out community work.
The service’s fleet team worked with Scania on the design of the appliances, which have been under construction since last year.
Darren Dovey, Northamptonshire’s Chief Fire Officer, said: “It’s been a long time since we were able to invest in new fire engines for our crews, and I’m delighted that they are going to be getting some exciting new state-of-the-art equipment.
“Not only will this really help in terms of the quality of protection we can offer to our residents, but it’s also vastly enhancing the working conditions and welfare of our staff.”
