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Firefighters get new aerial ladder (From Echo)
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Firefighters get new aerial ladder
9:20am Friday 24th September 2010 in Local News
FIREFIGHTERS at Southend are the first in the county to take delivery of a new specialist fire engine.
Essex Fire and Rescue Service crews are currently training to use the new aerial ladder platform – known as an Alp, for short.
The new machine can reach almost 100ft upwards, almost 80ft sideways – and also 55ft below ground level.
It is the first of five new Alps ordered by the fire service. The Southend-based machine will replace an existing, less versatile one, which has been in service for 17 years.
Deputy chief fire officer Adam Eckley said: “The new Alps are an example of the significant investment the service is making in ensuring we have first-class resources available on the front line.
“They have been designed precisely to our specifications, incorporating learning from the experience of other fire and rescue services. That makes them ideal for our needs.”
The fire service was unable to tell the Echo how much it had paid for the new machine.
Comments(7)
Cockle
says...
11:25am Fri 24 Sep 10
You really mean wouldn't tell you; there is absolutely no way that they don't know how much it cost, at least I hope not!
What I don't understand is why they won't say, surely the public have a right to know where our taxes are being spent. I have no doubt that it will prove to be a good piece of equipment and if the Fire Service deem it necessary to have then I have no problem with spending the money. However, this attitude from the powers that be, all of them, I'm not singling out the Fire Service, that they should keep the costs secret is very frustrating; get the message, it is our money, hard-earned, that we pay in tax.
APR
says...
2:57pm Fri 24 Sep 10
Ontheball
says...
3:02pm Fri 24 Sep 10
It has taken NINE months, from time of delivery until now, to get these vital bits of gear 'on the run'.
Quite appalling.
steve@eastwood
says...
4:12pm Fri 24 Sep 10
How come they have just signed a contract for a £20 million extention too their Kelvedon HQ.
Meanwhile their "other" HQ is still up and running at Brentwood. The mind boggles as to where the managers priorities may lie.
trevorwhateva
says...
10:19am Tue 28 Sep 10
e.gov.uk/pages/index
.asp?area=4&id=371 says: "ECFRS is preparing to take delivery of five brand new aerial ladder platforms to replace its aged fleet. The first vehicles are due to arrive in Essex in December as part of a £2.5m investment package." So i divided the £2.5 mil by five and came up with 1/2 a million. I would have thought that someone at the Echo was capable of doing this. Oh no I forget the Echo is the place where proper journalism goes to die. Well done Echo, another score!
ECFRS
says...
10:40am Tue 28 Sep 10
SafetySam says...
10:19am Fri 24 Sep 10
How many firefighters are being cut to pay for it and how much did it cost?
(My estimate £350,000)