Suffolk Fire & Rescue Service unveils £3.5 million investment in new equipment

Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service has unveiled a £3.5 million investment in new firefighting vehicles and equipment.

A 32m turntable ladder vehicle, a specialist rescue tender, six new fire engines, a driver trainer vehicle plus a fleet of electric pool cars are among the new fleet that will be on the road by the summer and continuing to keep the county safe.

The vehicles were designed jointly by Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) and fire engine manufacturers Emergency One of Scotland as part of a planned replacement programme.

The new vehicles also include a fleet of 15 VW ID4 cars for use by officers when attending incidents, featuring on and off-road capability, and six Nissan Leaf pool cars.

Suffolk Chief Fire Officer Jon Lacey said: “These new vehicles are equipped with the latest technology and give our staff the best tools to do the job of keeping the residents of Suffolk safe.

“Our fire engines are replaced after 15 years, in line with national best practice, and when we do replace them it is done so with equipment of the highest quality that meets the firefighting needs of the county and provides the best value for money the taxpayer.”

“We are also supporting the Suffolk Climate Emergency Plan by transitioning to electric vehicles for our officer and pool cars, a move which will support our aim for carbon neutrality by 2030.”

Councillor Craig Rivett, Suffolk County Council Cabinet Member for Public Health and Public Protection, said: “This is a significant investment in firefighting on behalf of the people of Suffolk.

“These vehicles and equipment will ensure our firefighters can continue to perform their duties in protecting and working with the community to the very high standard we are accustomed to.

“I look forward to seeing these vehicles and this equipment being used for many years to come.”

The vehicles were unveiled today (Tuesday April 30) at Ipswich East fire station.

The new vehicles and equipment consist of:

Turntable Ladder – this replaces an aging Multistar platform and will be based at Bury St Edmunds. It is one of two specialist high reach vehicles in the county. It has a lighter chassis and a 32-metre extending ladder.

Driver Training vehicle – New legislation has seen emergency response driver training standards increase with a requirement for more training time. This new vehicle offers a bespoke training tool which can double-up as a water carrier in times of increased summer firefighting and which will complement two existing water carriers within SFRS. It will be based in Ipswich but used all over the county.

Enhanced Rescue Tenders – these two vehicles are designed to meet the needs of specialist rescue, particularly on our roads. They will be based at Newmarket and Princes Street in Ipswich. They also can be used as standard firefighting appliances. Built with the latest Euro VI engines they produce lower emissions and carry a range of battery-operated equipment that has replaced aging petrol generator powered tools. They have a built-in solar panel to support the vehicle charging.

Type B Fire Engines – these six vehicles feature air-conditioned cabs, enhanced scene and safety lighting, low emission Euro VI engines, and dedicated decontamination sinks, alongside a range of other equipment. They will be based at fire stations in Ipswich East, Princes Street Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds, Lowestoft South, Elmswell, and Halesworth.

Officer Response and Pool Cars – Following the Climate Emergency declaration in 2019 SFRS has supported the Suffolk Climate Emergency Plan developed by Suffolk County Council (SCC). This has included the transition to electric vehicles which includes 15 VW ID4 Blue light officer cars and six Nissan Leaf Pools cars. This transition will support the SFRS aim for carbon neutrality by 2030, and with the addition of four electric vans later this year will see 28% of the SFRS small fleet transitioned to EV. This has been supported by SCC decarbonisation-funding for a strategic charging network across our fire stations.

Investment in new equipment

1. Battery-powered positive pressure ventilation (PPV) fans, an integral piece of firefighting equipment that lowers temperatures and removes smoke from buildings to aid firefighting and limit damage. A program of replacement will see petrol PPV fans replaced and carried on every fire engine over the next 18 months, reducing emissions and noise on the incident ground.
2. New thermal image cameras (TICS) will see every fire engine carrying the latest technology that gives firefighters the ability to search for people and fire spread in smoke and darkness. These replace cameras now at the end of their working lives.
3. Every fire engine will carry specialist gas monitoring equipment allowing firefighters to test the atmosphere to ensure an environment is safe for handover. These can also be used at a range of other emergencies including gas leaks. This enhances the safe system of work for crews having previously been carried on a small range of vehicles.
4. Fognail misting equipment delivers a mist of pressurised water and will be carried on every frontline fire engine in Suffolk. It allows firefighters to rapidly cool fires in buildings prior to entering making a safer environment. Supporting the effects of climate change, they can also reduce water use in instances such as wildfires.