New rescue boat is first for fire service (From Echo)

New rescue boat is first for fire service

2:30pm Wednesday 8th September 2010 in

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FIREFIGHTERS in Leigh have taken possession of the county’s first fire rescue power boat.

Crews at the station, in Mountdale Gardens, Leigh, have added the four-metre-long Avon 4.0 boat to their stable of lifesaving equipment.

The 30-horsepower inflatable is the first of its kind to be launched in Essex and after members of all four watches at the station underwent training it is ready to attend flooding and inland water rescues anywhere in the county.

Station Officer Simon Dedman, Leigh station commander, said: “This boat is specifically designed for water rescues, it’s not just an adapted pleasure craft.

“This is the only team of its kind in the county at the moment and the equipment isn’t limited to the boat. It includes rescue floats, floating spinal boards, reach poles and a series of floating lines for use in water so it’s a huge range of cutting-edge, dedicated water rescue equipment.”

Crews travelled to Snowdonia, in north Wales, to undergo rigorous water rescue training to prepare them for rescues in all conditions, from calm lakes to fast-flowing rivers and flooded coastal areas.

They have also all obtained a Royal Yachting Association power boat level two qualification, the most widely recognised powerboat qualification.

Mr Dedman said: “All of us here at the station have received extensive training on how to use all the kit and are now all looking forward to putting our skills and equipment to good use throughout the county.”

Deputy Chief Fire Officer Gordon Hunter added: “The rescue boat at Leigh is an important resource for the service. We have given crews the equipment and training they need to carry out all kinds of water rescues.

“In a county with so much coastline and the current changing climatic conditions the ability to work safely and effectively on water is vital. With this boat, and the team which crew it, we have that ability and the flexibility to carry out these rescues.”