Slimmed-down fire engine finally blazing a trail

A NEW "slimmed down" state-of-the-art fire truck is now on the roads in the Lothians, after a series of technical faults left it stuck in the garage for two years.

Firefighters had raised concerns after the two new appliances were ruled "too heavy" for crews to drive. They had been bought by the Scottish Government for Lothian and Borders Fire Brigade at the cost of almost 1 million.

But now the first Combined Aerial Rescue Pump (CARP) is fighting fires from its base at Sighthill Fire Station after bosses reduced the weight of equipment it carries.

It was launched earlier this month, around two years later than originally planned.

The second appliance, to be based at McDonald Road Fire Station, is undergoing further tests and will be launched in the next few months.

The new engines, which cost 450,000 each, are designed to do the job of a conventional fire engine and a height appliance vehicle in one.

Weighing around 18 tonnes, the appliances are much heavier than traditional trucks. A spokeswoman for the fire brigade said: "We're happy to confirm that the first one is now in operation.

"There have been various technical issues, but it's now out and about and has been to a few incidents."

She said the brigade is completing final training with crews on the other appliance at McDonald Road. Training for the first vehicle started in April 2008, but the truck had to be returned to the supplier after a fault was discovered. This led to a technical inquiry by the Fire Brigades Union.

During final training in February, crews discovered that with a full complement of water and equipment, the vehicle was about 400 kg over the maximum weight. This has not been reduced following a review of essential equipment and water loads.

In a report to the Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue board, chief fire officer Brian Allaway said: "The CARP is a recent concept in appliance design and experienced a number of commissioning issues which only became evident during testing.

"Such commissioning issues in any technically-complex projects are a common occurrence."

He said there were "no outstanding safety issues" and the safety of firefighters and the public is the first priority, but the brigade will be analysing the "lessons learned" for the future.

The Fire Brigades Union has claimed that the new appliances are designed to save money and jobs, rather than improve safety.

There have been complaints about the vehicles in other parts of the country. Safety questions were raised when one toppled over in Strathclyde at only 15 mph.

A spokesman for the union said: "We still have concerns about these appliances."