Submitted by SWFBU on
FIRE BRIGADES UNION
IMMEDIATE RELEASE 26 MARCH
TROWBRIDGE HOUSE FIRE SHOWS WHY TWO AERIAL APPLIANCES ARE VITAL IN WILTSHIRE
A serious fire in the roof of a house in Trowbridge shows why Wiltshire fire service needs to keep both its higher reach appliances. Local fire crews warn that cuts, axing one of them, would leave only one appliance in Wiltshire
The serious fire, in the Holt area, happened on the morning of 19 March; the day Wiltshire fire crews launched a campaign against cuts. The nearest higher reach appliance to Trowbridge was mobilised from Bath, which is Avon fire service, part of the normal assistance provided by neighbouring fire services under agreements.
This appliance – A Turntable Ladder – was put to work at the fire. But these type of high ladders lack the versatility of Wiltshire’s Hydraulic Platforms, particularly where the fire is in an awkward and more difficult to reach position. The Fire Crews on the scene quickly identified that a hydraulic platform was needed and the appliance from Swindon, one of only two of these vital appliances in Wiltshire, was quickly mobilised to the scene.
The other appliance is based at Salisbury. Under cuts being planned for the service, only one of these appliances would be left to cover the entire County. Fire Crews say this would seriously compromise Fire Cover.
Brent Thorley, Wiltshire FBU brigade secretary said: “Wiltshire is a very large county and the nearest higher reach platform came from Avon. It was a very awkward roof fire so we needed out own more versatile appliance at the scene.
“If we have only one appliance in the future and that is tied up at a fire, that would leave the rest of Wiltshire without access to an aerial at all. That is a concern for the public and firefighters.
“At last week’s fire at Trowbridge we knew for certain we had another aerial if needed for the rest of the county. We need that back up, which is why we have two of these specialist appliances in Wiltshire, and why cuts can compromise safety of the public and fire crews.”
