Members of the crew at Ross Fire Station are delighted with their latest addition – a brand new fire engine, one of nine new additions to the Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service fleet.

Each fire engine includes a 3,000-litre water tank, increasing the volume by 40% - and the weight of the fully loaded vehicle to 15 tonnes. The latest cutting gear and radio systems can also be found on each vehicle and six cameras give 360 degree CCTV, offering benefits for incident review and driver training.

Station Commander Neil Lilwall said: “It’s a welcome investment in firefighting in the two counties. The crews have much better tools to use for their job and it gives them much greater flexibility.”

SC Lilwall added: “It’s a great morale-booster for the staff and for rural firefighting. The fact that the pump has got so much more water on-board means that crews can attack a fire with much more confidence while waiting for a water supply to be established.”

The new fire engines also come with enhanced equipment for dealing with road traffic collisions and different hose technology which is much better for crew and public safety.See this week’s paper for more stories like this, available in shops and as a Digital Edition now.