More fire engines to go to Serbia (From Campaign Series)
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More fire engines to go to Serbia
8:50am Thursday 2nd February 2012 in News
Steve Logan, South Wales Fire Service, Catherine Richards of insurance brokers Jelf and Steve Mott, director of AGS with other firefighters from the Blazing to Serbia team (back, left to right) Philip Mock, Jenny Rogers, Sharon Mock and Roger Carr.
FOUR more end of service fire engines will be transported out to Serbia, but this time on low loaders.
South Wales Firefighters sent the "end of service" fire engines, fire kit and equipment to help their counterparts in Serbia.
They are the latest batch to be sent to southern Europe through the 'Blazing to Serbia' project. Seven fire engines were delivered last autumn and one the year before, but information gained from those trips meant this time it was more sensible to transport the vehicles on low-loaders.
Organiser of the Blazing to Serbia project Steve Logan, who is the Station Manager at Caerphilly and Rhymney Fire Stations, explained: "If we were driving them to Serbia at this time of the year they would need winter tyres to meet driving regulations for mainland Europe. Each tyre would cost £590 + VAT and each fire engine would need six tyres.
"It meant driving to Serbia before the mid-April was just not feasible, so we decided to transport them.
But we needed a haulage specialist to take them on low-loaders and that required special insurance arranging. Luckily three businesses stepped up to the mark and offered their services for free - I'd like to offer my heartfelt thanks to each of them on behalf of the Blazing to Serbia project."
The "end of service" fire engines from stations in Risca, Ogmore Vale and Blaina - plus a service reserve - have come to the end of their working life under strict British standards.
Catherine Richards, from Jelf said: "I think Blazing to Serbia is marvelous idea. We all know how dedicated our firefighters are but to find they're still helping other people in their spare time is fantastic.
"And they're also extending the service of these life-saving vehicles. We're used to AGS taking all sorts of loads all over Europe but when Steve Mott told us what this was for we just had to help."
On arrival, the latest engines will be adapted for use in Serbia, including conversion to left-hand drive.
And a team of South Wales firefighters will then go to Serbia for four days on February 22 to present them to the mayors in four different municipalities and help train their new crews in how to use them.
"The equipment they have in Serbia is often very old, whereas in this country our high safety standards means we often replace kit which has plenty of good use left in it, so we're in a position to help fellow firefighters in another country," said Station Manager Logan.
"These four will make 11 engines that we've taken to Serbia during the last 12 months and completes the first of a three year commitment that the South Wales Fire & Rescue Service Authority has given to the Serbian Fire Service.
Equipment donated so far also includes 93 gas-tight chemical suits, more than 200 breathing apparatus sets with cylinders, 25 sets of hydraulic rescue equipment and various ladders."
