New vehicles replacing fire engines in use from today

Firefighters at Northallerton and Tadcaster fire stations will attend call-outs in the Tactical Response Vehicles (TRVs) from today (Thursday).

The vehicles will be crewed by three staff, rather than four or five on a standard fire engine.

They have the same standard pump as a normal fire engine, but also carry new equipment that is designed to be operated with fewer staff than previously required.

Assistant Chief Fire Officer, Owen Hayward, said: “These vehicles combine the use of modern equipment and new techniques, along with well trained and highly skilled staff, to deliver a response to emergencies, which is appropriate to the current risk in these areas whilst also being more cost effective”.

The vehicles will respond to, and be able to deal with, small incidents, such as bin fires, on their own and will be sent along with standard fire engines to larger incidents such as house fires and road traffic collisions.

A TRV has been operating from Scarborough fire station since mid-January and others are also being introduced at Harrogate, Malton and Ripon fire stations over the remainder of the year.